Inspection/Maintenance Program Highlights U.S. EPA For further info contact: Eugene Tierney 313-668-4456 July - Sept 1995 Highlights 9-25-95 Maryland - September 26, 1995 - The State submitted a CO redesignation request for Baltimore on September 18, 1995. More committee hearings will be held in November and are expected to focus on test-and-repair and ASM. Voluntary IM240 testing is reportedly doing well. Michigan - September 26, 1995 - Michigan has applied for CMAQ funding to open one voluntary IM240 test station in western Michigan. The State estimates that 13,000 cars will be tested annually and generate emissions reductions of one half ton per day. Utah - An updated version of the Analytical Protocol for assessment of the I/M program credit for test-and-repair programs in Utah was sent out to EPA Regional Air Directors and staff for distribution to states for comment. All comments should be faxed to Philip Lorang before October 31, 1995. EPA is in the process of analyzing Utah's data and as yet, no discount rate has been determined. Vermont - September 25, 1995 - Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Barbara Ripley announced that the State intends to move forward with an I/M program. The announcement contained few details except that the State is contemplating an add-on to the existing safety inspection program. Washington D.C. - September 26, 1995 - The District submitted a redesignation request for CO on September 18, 1995. I/M OBD Rule - September 26, l995 - A meeting was held with AIAM, AAMA and the motor vehicle manufacturers regarding the proposed I/M OBD rule, which was published on August l8, l995. Discussion centered on I/M test procedures for vehicles equipped with OBD systems. Issues such as properly set readiness codes, fault code retrieval and customer awareness of these codes and the subsequent impact on a vehicle passing or failing an I/M test were discussed. EPA will take the issues discussed under consideration when drafting the final rule. The comment period for this rule has been extended to October 13, 1995. OTR - September 22, l995 - A notice of proposed rule making providing I/M implementation flexibility to areas in the Ozone Transport Region has been sent to the Administrator's office for signature. A press advisory will be published by Friday, September 29, l995. Flex Rule - September l8, l995 - The I/M Flexibility Amendments were published in the Federal Register. The rulemaking has also been posted on the TTN bulletin board for public access. Highlights 9-11-95 Nevada - September 5, 1995 - The Las Vegas, low enhanced, I/M program started up using the new NEV94 analyzers. The upgraded mechanic training program will begin in December. The contract with Desert Research Institute on RSD will be completed in February 1996. Implementation of RSD testing may begin in March l996. I/M Final Flex Rule - September 11, 1995 - The I/M Flexibility Final Rule was signed by the Administrator on September 5, 1995. The rule is being processed by the Office of Federal Register and should be published by next week. OBD Rule - September 11, 1995 - A notice extending the comment period to October 13, 1995 for the On-board Diagnostics NPRM should be published in the Federal Register within two weeks. Highlights 8-14-95 Michigan - August 7, l995 - The Detroit area has apparently violated the ozone standard this summer. The area was redesignated to attainment in April 1995, after several years without a violation, although two incidents occurred last summer. The State of Michigan plans to send a letter by August 31, l995, confirming that a violation has occurred. Despite this, the State is proceeding with plans to discontinue the AET program, which has been largely ineffective in reducing emissions. The State is considering which contingency measures to implement to address the problem. OBD Rule - August l4, l995 - The Administrator has signed the proposed rule and it should be published in the Federal Register within the next two weeks. This rule would establish procedures and SIP requirements for conducting OBD checks in I/M programs. Highlights 7-31-95 Missouri - July 14, l995 - The Deputy AA for Air and Radiation and the EPSD Director went to St. Louis today for a meeting to discuss Missouri's I/M program. The lawsuit against EPA over the l5% SIP requirement and sanctions has not been decided. But, the State is ready to start considering options for an I/M program. The Legislature is ready to accept financing and ownership of stations by a contractor, instead of the State, if there are contractor stations. A start date of January l997 is anticipated. The State contracted with Sherman Engineering to write the RFP for the building and operating contract. New York - August 2, 1995 - The State has submitted its I/M SIP. The Region is preparing a completeness finding for the submittal, thereby stopping the sanctions clock. The SIP calls for a retest-based hybrid program in the New York city MSA and two options for the upstate area, one meeting EPA's proposed low enhanced performance standard, and another adding a pressure test and OBD check to the statewide safety inspection, which would meet the OTR low-enhanced performance standard. New York - July 24, 1995 - Public hearings on the emergency rules for the I/M SIP were held last week in New York. There was considerable public comment and the State says it will take some time to put together the response to comment. Texas - July 20, 1995 - Texas submitted the three alternative plans they are considering for the I/M program. The plans were approved by Governor George Bush and the chosen version is to be submitted to the Governor on August 3, 1995. The first option is a decentralized BAR90, test-and-repair annual program with the addition of gas cap testing and remote sensing. Option two, the Motorist Choice Option, is the same as option one, except it allows motorists to choose between test-only biennial tests and test- and-repair annual tests. Option three, low impact, requires test-only change-of-ownership testing using IM240 and remote sensing of about 20% of the fleet. On Board Diagnostic - July 25, l995 - The Administrator signed the Notice of Propose Rulemaking - On Board Diagnostics Inspection/Maintenance requirements. The rule should be published in the Federal Register within the next two weeks. This rule would establish procedures and SIP requirements for conducting OBD checks in I/M programs. Highlights 7-17-95 California - June 30, 1995 - The State submitted its I/M SIP to EPA today and a letter deeming the package complete was signed and sent on the same day. The package contains emergency regulations. In the letter finding the SIP complete, EPA indicated that while the proposed program falls short of meeting the minimum requirements for a "high" enhanced I/M program, it does meet the necessary criteria for a "low" enhanced I/M program. Colorado - July 12, 1995 - Boulder, which is an enhanced I/M opt-in area, started testing in two new stations that opened July 1. The last station, in Denver, is scheduled to begin testing on September 15. The program is still showing an average failure rate of 9%, with two thirds passing the first reinspection. The average cost of repairs is $151, and the average reduction in emissions after repairs is 59%. Despite the fact that the program is running smoothly, Congressman Paschal -- who last session sponsored a bill to kill the program -- has announced that he is writing a new bill to kill the program and will introduce it in January 1996, when the legislature reconvenes. Illinois - June 29, 1995 - The State submitted its I/M SIP to EPA today. A letter finding the package complete has been sent out. New Jersey - July 17, 1995 - The State has submitted an I/M SIP to the Regional office. It is being evaluated for completeness. The SIP calls for a hybrid program with biennial ASM and evaporative purge and pressure testing for all model year vehicles using the ESP alternative evaporative system tests. Vehicles four years old and newer may be tested at test-and- repair stations or test-only stations, at the owner's choice. Vehicles six years old and older are initially tested at test-only stations and may be retested at test-and-repair stations. Texas - July 13, 1995 - Local Councils of Government have formed a committee to discuss the future of I/M and have invited EPA's Region 6 to participate. The committee will include elected state representatives, TNRCC, repair industry representatives, consumer groups, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Meanwhile, the Governor's office and TNRCC continue to work behind closed doors to develop 2 - 3 I/M program design options to propose to EPA sometime in the near future.