Monday, March 1, 2010
New Emissions Testing for Boise?
Posted by Deanna Darr on Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 5:34 PM
Apparently, emissions testing is all the rage among local governments.
The City of Boise announced it is looking into joining the vehicle emissions testing program the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is creating for Canyon County (although that governmental agency doesn’t seem to care for the system as much as the City of Boise does).
The new system is contracted through SysTech, a national company that would contract through the state. Under that system, emissions tests would only be required every other year and cost just $11 compared to the $20 the current system is capped at.
Now, Boise’s emissions testing is done by the Ada County Air Quality Board through a joint operating agreement with Ada County and the cities of Eagle, Meridian, Garden City and Star.
Adam Park, spokesman for Boise Mayor Dave Bieter, said the plan is only in the beginning stages, but that it looks promising.
Before any decision is made, the City would have to be assured that the new system would meet the current guidelines.
The Boise City Council will get a briefing on the proposal from DEQ and SysTech at its meeting on Tuesday, March 2, at 6 p.m. Park said the briefing is just the first stage and a lot of questions will have to be answered before any changes are made. Additionally, the city would like to make any move in conjunction with the other cities in the testing program.
While Canyon County is set to move to the new system on July 1, Park said Boise will have the option of joining at a later date.
Comments (2)
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It's nice to see responsible adults making decisions. I've lived in other states where emissions testing is required annually and costs around $70. Why so high? State government are looking for another revenue source. It takes diligent effort to control costs and push/demand efficiency. Too many times, government claims it needs more responsibility and money to solve problems.
$11 every two years.... A+
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I have several comments about this. They have already been shared with several members of the Boise City Council, and the quoted text is exactly what they were sent. (I should also mention that I do not own or work for any emissions testing company.)
"I am concerned and dismayed about the potential to replace the red emissions vans with the company called SysTek. Here are some of the problems I see:
"First, I’ve heard that at least some of the other communities where this company is currently operating are not exactly thrilled with this company’s performance. Due diligence is a must.
"Although I was unable to attend the Boise council meeting on 3/2/2010, it is my understanding that the distribution of the funds (from the proposed $11 test) was discussed during the meeting. The company representative stated that $3.50 goes to DEQ, and $2.00 pays the worker. The remaining $5.50 presumably goes out of state to the company and its owners or stockholders. It is also my understanding that there are currently about 60,000 tests done each year in Ada County. Since SysTek apparently plans to have 20 testing locations, this means that each station will average about $6,000 per year – hardly enough to pay a part-time worker, let alone provide the level of service and convenience we have become accustomed to." (Note: The $6,000 figure is based on the testing stations' share of the $2.00 that is for paying the worker, not the entire $11.00 fee.)
"Currently, the emissions stations are independent businesses, not affiliated with any automotive repair shops. They are not allowed to repair vehicles that fail the emissions test, nor are they allowed to recommend a specific repair facility. Instead, the air quality board provides a list of qualified repair facilities, and the emissions tech may give the entire list to the customer whose vehicle has failed to pass the test. Under the SysTek plan, emissions testing will be done in existing auto repair businesses. Do you think that those technicians will – always – remain neutral when a customer’s vehicle fails? Do you think that it is possible for unscrupulous technicians to cause a vehicle to fail, just so that they can also get the repair business? (It is my understanding that the simple act of disconnecting a certain vacuum hose in some vehicles may cause a test failure.) Given the low amount of revenue that the testing stations will be generating, there may be strong incentive to act inappropriately in some cases.
"What happens when the SysTek contract comes up for renewal in five years? Will SysTek be the only bidder? Will they announce that the existing revenues are insufficient to provide the service that people in this area want, and that it is necessary to raise the fee up to – say – $50 per test? If they are the only bidder, will we have any choice but to pay?
"What happens to the operators and employees of the various emissions testing stations (red vans) if SysTek is allowed to take over? I doubt that very many of them will get hired by the new testing stations, since those stations already have their own mechanics and technicians. Recent changes to the emissions testing program have already caused 18 or so emissions testing stations to close. Do we need to intentionally put even more people on the unemployment roll?
"The current system involves numerous independent businesses. If there is a location that needs a red van, you can be sure that someone will step up and fill the gap. Will a company based in another state be as nimble? If someone lives at one end of town, will they have to drive all the way across town to get an emissions test? Big companies aren’t known for being agile. Also, what happens to the investment that all of these small, local, business people made in their red vans? There won’t be much residual value when the market gets flooded with used analyzers and used red vans."
--SeanInBoise
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