Vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program is behind schedule

Technical Report · Wed Jan 16 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5728347

Bowsher, C A

Under the Clean Air Act, 30 states and the District of Columbia are to implement vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs to ensure that carbon monoxide and ozone air quality standards will be attained by the end of 1987. The District of Columbia and roughly half of the states met the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) target date for implementing the I/M program - December 31, 1982. As of September 1984, 12 more states had implemented I/M and 4 other states were expected to begin a program between July 1985 and February 1986. I/M programs are controversial because the benefits are not always clear, and their implementation costs are considerable. In addition, the future need for I/M programs is uncertain because of indications that air quality has improved nationwide generally without I/M programs and with recent advances in vehicle technology for controlling emissions. The effectiveness of ongoing I/M programs has generally not been evaluated, and at least eight programs have experienced operational problems. GAO believes EPA's scheduled audits should be completed by the close of fiscal year 1986 so that states can benefit from any EPA recommendations before the 1987 deadline. However, EPA has not budgeted adequate resources to complete the scheduled audits. Therefore, GAO recommends that the Administrator, EPA, reassess the priority given to completing scheduled audits of state I/M programs. 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (USA). Office of the Comptroller General
• OSTI ID: 5728347
• Report Number(s): GAO/RCED-85-22; ON: TI85901366
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
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293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
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500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
AUTOMOBILES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CLEAN AIR ACT
COMPLIANCE
EXHAUST GASES
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
LAWS
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
POLLUTION LAWS
STANDARDS
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VEHICLES
WASTES