Millions of Pennsylvanians are paying for an outdated vehicle emissions testing program in counties that already meet federal air quality standards. As chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee, I believe the time to change that is long overdue.

Pennsylvania’s federally sanctioned Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program requires motorists in 25 counties to participate in annual emissions testing for vehicles such as gasoline-powered passenger cars, vans and light-duty trucks with a model year of 1975 and newer. (Diesel-powered vehicles are federally exempt from an annual vehicle emissions testing, and other vehicles such as motorcycles are exempt in Pennsylvania.)

The I/M program was required by Congress in 1990 as part of the Clean Air Act amendments. After changes were implemented, the commonwealth finally became compliant in 2005. However, Pennsylvania motorists in affected counties are still mandated to receive an outdated emissions testing every year, at an average cost of $40 per test. The commonwealth does not set the cost of vehicle emissions testing, nor does it collect any fees to manage the I/M program. Instead, the nearly 8,000 official inspection stations across the state set a market-driven fee to account for the cost of the equipment, training, and related expenses.

There is compelling evidence that vehicles are continuously passing the annual emissions testing. Due to newer, more efficient vehicles entering the fleet, emissions testing has become less effective at reducing air pollution.

In Pennsylvania, between 2011-17, an average of 5.7 million vehicles were tested each year; less than 4% failed the testing (and only 2% eight years old or newer failed). This demonstrates how emissions testing is ineffective and outdated. Although we are meeting or exceeding federal air quality standards and fewer vehicles are failing the vehicle emissions testing, there has not been any action in recent years to modernize the onerous, costly regulations of the I/M program.

In June, I sponsored and the Senate passed reform measures including Senate Bills 742 and 743. SB 742 would exempt newer vehicles eight years old or newer from the annual emissions testing. This legislation requires newer vehicles to receive an annual anti-tampering inspection from official inspection stations. The anti-tampering inspection is currently conducted on all non-subject vehicles during the annual safety inspection.

SB 743 would change the annual emissions testing requirement, requiring vehicles manufactured in odd-numbered years to receive an emissions inspection during odd-numbered years and vehicles manufactured in even-numbered years to receive the inspection during even-numbered years.

Other reforms passed by the Senate in June would remove at least seven counties meeting or exceeding air quality standards from the testing requirement, replace the outdated tests in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia regions with modern methods, and extend the date for official inspection stations to obtain new emissions testing equipment to 2021.

These bills were sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. If signed into law, the Department of Environmental Protection would be required to prepare a revised State Implementation Plan reflecting these reforms. The revised plan would require review and approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before the reform measures would take effect. This will ensure that Pennsylvania is not in jeopardy of advancing federally funded highway projects in Pennsylvania.

It is time to give more than 5 million motorists a break and bring Pennsylvania’s vehicle emissions testing program into the 21st century.

Sen. Kim Ward represents Pennsylvania’s 39th District, which covers most of Westmoreland County.

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