Emission Check changes start next month

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - June 13, 2002

02-112

Emission Check changes start next month - Spokane region

LACEY - Emission Check stations will be open longer hours and accept credit cards and checks when a new contactor takes over operations next month, and one of Spokane's two stations will move to a new location.

On July 1, Agbar Technologies Inc. of Chicago will begin a 10-year contract to operate the testing stations for the Department of Ecology (Ecology). The procedures used to test auto emissions also will change, but the testing fee will remain unchanged, at $15.

Ecology officials urge motorists to avoid possible delays during the first two weeks of the transition by having their vehicles tested before June 30 or after July 14.

"The stations are changing to make testing faster and more convenient, but things could be a little hectic at first as the company adjusts to the new system," said Mary Burg who manages Ecology's air-quality program. "We hope people will be patient during the transition phase and help us break the system in gradually by avoiding the periods at the beginning and end of the month when the stations are usually the busiest."

The new contract will bring several changes to the Emission Check program:

Test stations will accept checks and credit cards, ending a 20-year cash-only policy.
Hours will expand. The new schedule will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
The Spokane Valley station at S. 211 Howe Rd. will close and be replaced by a new station at 16309 E. Marietta Lane, just off N. Sullivan Rd.

Five- to 25-year-old vehicles registered in urban areas of King, Pierce, Snohomish, Clark and Spokane counties will continue to need inspections every two years.

The inspection process itself will change as Ecology implements test procedures to help the Spokane region comply with federal air quality standards:

Gas-cap leak checks. Worn seals on gas caps allow fuel vapor to leak into the air even when the vehicle isn't running. Leaky gas caps also defeat other parts of the evaporative emission-control system.
Most 1996 and newer gasoline cars and light trucks will receive an "on-board diagnostics" test instead of a tailpipe check. The attendant will plug a data cable into the vehicle's computer to download information on emission-related engine conditions. The test will prevent high emissions before they occur.
Diesel cars and light trucks will receive dynamometer inspections. Heavy-duty diesel trucks will continue to receive the current "snap-idle" test, a series of brief engine revvings.

Each year about 900,000 vehicles undergo exhaust inspections statewide. Repairs to vehicles with excessive emissions reduce overall tailpipe pollution by 20 percent. Emission Check prevents more than 146,000 tons of air pollution a year, and is a major part of local clean-air efforts.

Contact: Larry Altose, public information officer, 425-649-7009, or pager, 206-663-1785.
Mary Burg, manager, Ecology air-quality program, 360-407-6880

For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/cars/Automotive_Pages.htm