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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 25, 2000
00-149
OLYMPIA -- The motor-vehicle Emission Check station in Lakewood that burned to the ground March 10 has re-opened. The re-built testing center is one of four in Pierce County.
"We appreciate the public's patience while we have been without the Lakewood station," said Fritz Merkl, who coordinates the Washington Department of Ecology's Emission Check program in Pierce County. "With this center back in service, we can expect shorter lines at the other test stations."
A vehicle in the building caught fire, and flames engulfed the garage-like testing area. There were no injuries and no other vehicles were damaged.
The station is located at 3003 107th St. S., near the north end of McChord Field. Emission Check stations are open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are owned and operated by Envirotest Systems, Inc., under a contract with the state.
The Emission Check program identifies vehicles with excessive emissions so they can be repaired. As a result, the program reduces motor-vehicle pollution by 20 percent. Emission Check operates in the urban portions of Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties. The program includes gasoline and diesel vehicles between five and 25 years old.
Contact: Sandy Howard, public information manager, 360-407-6239
Fritz Merkl, Emission Check unit leader, 360-407-6333
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
