The days of waiting in line to get vehicle emissions tested may soon be over for Lake and Porter counties, the last two counties in the state that still require it.
But before drivers rev their engines with glee, a clean air advocate warns that the environmental goals aren’t going away.
A resolution calling for the two counties to be released from the testing requirements received unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate during the recent legislative session and Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-6th, who presented the resolution, would like the Environmental Protection Agency to release the counties from the requirement.
“Everybody else has cleaned their act up under state and federal guidelines. This is just another process people would not have to go through. If the 90 other counties don’t have to go do it, we shouldn’t have it, either,” Niemeyer said.
But that’s wouldn’t be the end of it, an environmental professional said.
Carl Lisek, president and CEO of the South Shores Clean Cities, said the state is mandated to participate in the federal vehicle emissions program because it has not met air quality standards set out by the Clean Air Act.
“It’s not that our air quality is not getting better. Our air quality is getting better…We are proud of the achievements made as an area,” Lisek said. “Termination of the program would trigger sanctions under the Clean Air Act that will cripple economic development in the region and prohibit federal transportation monies from being released for road and public transportation projects.”
Lake and Porter counties are part of the EPA Region 5 and are considered part of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. A spokesman for EPA Region 5 could not be reached for comment.
Niemeyer, however, said myriad reasons exist why the two counties should no longer have to participate in the program.
Much of the region’s auto emissions stem from passenger and commercial traffic on the two highways that cut through the counties, Interstates 80/94 and 65. Niemeyer said only 20 percent of the traffic on those highways is from Lake or Porter county residents.
Niemeyer said newer cars are much more efficient and already have less emissions than vehicles in 1984 when the testing program was launched. He also has concerns unscrupulous mechanics might take advantage of consumers – especially the elderly – who seek repairs to make their vehicles compliant if they fail the test.
The measure has gained the support of the Lake County Council, which unanimously approved a resolution supporting Niemeyer’s bid.
“I’m tired of seeing our taxpayers get burdened with this,” Councilman Eldon Strong, R-Crown Point, said. Strong introduced the resolution to the county council.
Like Niemeyer, Lisek said today’s cars run much more efficiently reducing airborne emissions, but the need still exists to monitor and control air quality to keep the region and state moving forward.
Lisek said everybody in the state – even those supporting the withdrawal from the vehicle emissions testing program — wants the same thing, clean air, water and land, and urged officials to look at the big picture when requesting changes.
“We can get rid of the vehicle testing in the state of Indiana, if that is what the people of Indiana want,” he said. “However, the state will have to replace this program with another program to continue to reduce and eliminate emissions.”
Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney was unaware of any attempt to remove Lake and Porter counties from the vehicle testing requirements. Niemeyer said he would be reaching out to U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., for his help in the coming weeks. The Senate resolution in March was sent to both the EPA Region 5 office in Chicago and the administrator of the U.S. EPA office in Washington, D.C. Niemeyer said he has not yet received a response.
He acknowledged the region is not quite in compliance yet, but said testing vehicles is an unfair burden to local residents not imposed on the rest of the state.
“Cars are so much cleaner today than they were years ago. (The testing program) probably ran its cycle and needs to be stopped,” Niemeyer said.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
