This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Twice! Twice this week I went to the AirCare Colorado Emissions Testing Facility off of Airport Road, and twice I spent less than 25 minutes for the whole operation. Not bad for getting both my pickup’s and my brother’s jeep’s emissions tested. On top of it all, the folks at the facility were happy, friendly, and accommodating people. Thanks guys for an easy experience!
So just a quick rundown for those interested in a better understanding of the need for emissions testing. Internal combustion engines produce air pollutants (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, and good old soot) that can damage our health if breathed in and negatively impact the environment (if it’s not good for us, it can’t be good for every other living thing). How do we know this is true? Because in the 50s and 60s, federal, state, and local government agencies started doing air pollution testing to figure this out. Science baby. This led to the first requirement for exhaust pipes on 1966 model cars sold in California. Why California? Remember those old timey pictures of the smog over Los Angeles? That’s why. Also, ever see pictures of the smog in Beijing, Delhi, or Ulan Bator (Mongolia) in the past couple years? That’s why we limit emissions from vehicles, especially in cities, basically so our kids can play outside without developing asthma just by breathing the air. Just look at the U.S. Embassy’s Air Net awareness page for various cities in China (http://www.stateair.net) and see how they warn American citizens not too venture outside at certain times due to air pollution.
I digress, so back in 1977, the Clean Air Act was amended to mandate that all metropolitan centers in the U.S. needed to create an emissions testing program. In 1990, the Clean Air Act (under Bush senior) was amended again, which mandated some states to conduct emissions testing. Now, from my internet searching, it’s hard to tell when Colorado enacted its emissions testing protocol. However, I saw notes from a January 9th, 2017 hearing at the State Capitol where State Representatives were questioning the cost effectiveness of frequent emissions testing that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that emissions testing is federally mandated in Colorado. On that, I’ll say it’s a fair question to ask the frequency of vehicle emissions testing, but the overall need for it helps keep our cities from being as smoggy as those Asian cities I referred to above. Seriously, google some smog images of Beijing and Delhi and know what the lack of emissions regulations means for a city.
My family’s vehicles are set for two more years on Boulder County roads. When do you get your vehicle’s emissions tested next?
Byron Kominek is an environmental consultant based out of his family's farm in Longmont. He's a former US diplomat turned beekeeper and mushroom growing hobbyist.
