Quote:
Originally Posted by fatlazyless
..., so New Hampshire should be required to meet the same standards and NOT receive an EPA waiver from the clean air car emission rules. ...
|
However, many other states have received inspection waivers that were structured a little differently than NH did. Why NH chose a different route is uncertain. Maybe it's a harder but better route to take? Maybe it was a dopey approach?
The thing to note is that NONE of this is related to car safety. It is all about emissions. As pointed out, most cars on the road are manufactured with proper emission controls that function reliably and flash a warning if they are not operating. Most people will take their car in and get it fixed. Why do we need an inspection for emissions when it is obvious when there is a problem? We don't.
What we have is a legal problem with conflicting intentions and unclear side effects. The Federal government wants compliance with the CAA (CLEAN AIR ACT). NH wants to stop inspections but framed it as withdrawing from participation in the OTR (OZONE TRANSPORT REGION) regulations part of the CAA (see above). That has broader implications than just stopping inspections and the federal government is going to want to take a hard look at that action. NH is trying to kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer. Maybe that works, maybe it doesn't. Maybe there is collateral damage.