The Senate Transportation Committee held a public hearing today in Latrobe on exempting eligible counties from vehicle emissions testing, according to Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) who served on the panel.
“I am grateful that the Senate Transportation Committee came to our region to discuss this important matter and gain input,” Langerholc said. “For nearly a decade our region has met federal air quality standards, so it makes sense for local motorists to no longer have to pay for costly and unnecessary testing that may only be needed in more urban areas of the state.”
Langerholc has been fighting hard to ensure that area residents and businesses do not have to comply with the unnecessary mandate. During the hearing, he noted that the nonpartisan Joint State Government Commission (JSCG) listed Cambria County as one of seven top counties that could be removed from emissions inspections programs in its latest report.
“The report and today’s hearing confirm what we have been saying all along – that our county can easily be removed without any significant environmental impact,” Langerholc said. “I will be working hard with Chairwoman Ward to ensure we get this onerous requirement removed.”
Langerholc said that data provides even more evidence that the 14-year-old requirement, which costs motorists on average $40, is no longer necessary, given the fact that the region has been consistently meeting air quality standards.
The testing requirement was first implemented in 1997 and expanded to include Cambria County in 2003. However, Langerholc noted that it was based on air quality data from the 1990s. Local air quality has steadily improved since that time, leading Cambria County to be designated as an attainment area in 2008.
CONTACT: Gwenn Dando 717-599-1164