Vehicle emissions inspections are currently required in 19 North Carolina counties, but the NC Department of Environmental Quality could soon eliminate the requirement for almost every county in the state.
Revisions to the DEQ’s Inspection & Maintenance State Implementation Plan would remove the requirement for vehicle emissions inspections in 18 North Carolina counties and limit the vehicles subject to inspections in Mecklenburg County, the only county that would remain in the program. The plan, which must be approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, must demonstrate that the state can still meet federal air quality standards with the proposed changes, according to DEQ.
Last year, the General Assembly authorized the removal of the emissions inspection program from 18 of the 19 counties currently under the guidelines: Alamance, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Johnston, Lincoln, New Hanover, Randolph, Rowan, Union and Wake counties.
“For an increasing number of drivers, these mandated inspections are a waste of time and money,” said Jon Sanders, Director of the Center for Food, Power, and Life at the John Locke Foundation. “It’s encouraging to see government pulling back from emissions inspections and acknowledging the improvements brought about in the private sector.”
The vehicle emissions inspection program began in 1982 to ensure that air pollution controls on cars and trucks operate correctly. While it was once required in 48 North Carolina counties, the requirement has subsided as newer vehicles have evolved with cleaner ways of operating. For example, onboard diagnostic technology (OBD) has improved, with computer systems that can detect issues with a car and alert drivers that repairs are needed before an inspection is due.
“Since then, vehicles and fuels have become much cleaner, and modern vehicles emit far less pollution than older vehicles,” DEQ wrote in a press release. “The growing adoption of zero-emission vehicles, including electric cars, is further reducing air pollution from the transportation sector.”
Economists use the Environmental Kuznets Curve, which argues that a cleaner environment is a happy byproduct of a freer economy. As societal wealth, life expectancies, and productivity grow over time, people begin valuing cleaner environments, while technological advances and post-development shifts in industry produce cleaner and more efficient outcomes.
Sanders explained that newer vehicles emit less than older models, and vehicles over 20 years old are already exempt from emissions testing, the NC Division of Motor Vehicles website shows. But despite technology updates, annual vehicle safety inspections will remain a requirement across the entire state under the DMV.
“Many states, including North Carolina’s neighbors South Carolina and Tennessee, do not require safety inspections, either. A strong case could be made for repealing safety inspections as well, given that cars are also being built to be safer as well,” Sanders added.
DEQ is accepting public comments on rescinding vehicle inspection regulations through September 4. The Department did not respond to a request for comment.
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