EPA Demands Stronger Smog Check Plan

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned Gov. Pete Wilson on Wednesday that the Smog Check program now being considered by the state Legislature must be toughened significantly or the state will face federal sanctions.

In a letter also signed by Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena, EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner said none of the Smog Check proposals under consideration fully address federal clean air requirements “and thus none would be approvable by EPA as currently written.”

Browner warns that unless appropriate legislation is enacted by Nov. 15, the federal government is considering cuts in federal highway funding and stiffer air pollution reduction requirements for new industry in the state.

“The imposition of sanctions in California would be costly to industry, jobs and the economic growth of your state,” the letter says.

James Lee, a spokesman for CalEPA and Wilson’s office, said there is no disagreement about the need to enhance the Smog Check program. “We still think there is ample time left to work with the Legislature in crafting a good Smog Check bill that everyone would support--including the feds,” he said.

Smog Check, enacted in 1984 to monitor and reduce vehicle emissions, is undergoing its third major overhaul. The legislation as currently written differs from federal Clean Air Act requirements in two ways.

The EPA calls for a centralized system, with separate test and repair facilities. The state proposal is a hybrid system. Motorists would take their cars first to a centralized test-only site. If their cars failed, they could go to a so-called Gold Shield station for repair and subsequent retesting.

In addition, the EPA says all drivers must pay at most $450 needed to bring cars into compliance with emission requirements. The state plan calls for a three-tier repair cap, depending on the model year of the car, that tops out at $350.