NC budget eliminates vehicle emissions inspections

The newly signed state budget effectively eliminates the vehicle emissions inspection requirement in North Carolina, pending EPA approval.

Currently in North Carolina, emissions inspections are required in 19 counties, including Mecklenburg County, and annual safety inspections are also required statewide. Language in the 2023 state budget eliminated the requirement for an emissions inspection in 18 counties, with Mecklenburg County the only remaining county in the program, according to Shawn Taylor, public information officer for the Division of Air Quality Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). The legislation also narrowed the types of vehicles that must adhere to the requirement in Mecklenburg County. 

These changes, however, cannot take effect until the EPA approves North Carolina’s revised Air Quality plan submitted by NCDEQ in Oct 2024, according to Taylor. The plan would eliminate the federal requirement in all 19 counties that are currently subject to emissions inspections.

“Over the years, cars have been produced to the higher air quality standards, and as a result, our air has gotten cleaner from the air quality standpoint,” Rep. Dean Arp, R-Union, told the Carolina Journal. “And what we’ve been doing is in recognition of that is we’ve been rolling back the counties that meet the clean air standards. As in all cases, we have to get approval from the feds to change our compliance… Now, in this budget, we roll it back from Mecklenburg as well. But it’s still contingent on being approved by the EPA.”

So far, the EPA has proposed approving the plan, which, if finalized, would eliminate emissions testing in the 18 counties outlined in the 2023 budget, according to Taylor. Then, Mecklenburg would be the only remaining county required under state law to perform emissions inspections, even if the federal requirement is removed. 

“Through cooperative federalism, EPA is working with North Carolina to lower costs for their residents while maintaining protection for human health and the environment,” EPA Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber said in a press release. “EPA is committed to eliminating unnecessary burdens to make testing more convenient and affordable for drivers and ensuring clean air for all Americans.”

Language in the budget recently signed into law by Gov. Josh Stein states: “Subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Become effective 15 days after the United States Environmental Protection Agency approves an amendment to the North Carolina State Implementation Plan (…) and applies to motor vehicles inspected or due to be inspected on or after this date.” 

The bill also requires the NCDEQ secretary to give notice of EPA approval within 15 days of its effective date. 

“The budget bill passed last week would also end the state requirement for emission inspections in Mecklenburg County, meaning that should EPA finalize approval of the revised state plan, the emission inspection program could end statewide,” Taylor told the Carolina Journal. “The budget bill includes provisions for when the Environmental Management Commission may restore the vehicle inspection program without legislative action if needed to address air quality nonattainment. DEQ is reviewing the budget bill to understand what changes to the vehicle emission inspection program it may require.”

There are no air quality nonattainment areas in North Carolina at this time, according to Taylor. For almost 11 years, the state has been meeting every federal health-based air quality standard. 

“Emissions inspections are essentially an added hassle and cost of car ownership and, as the EPA’s revised plan shows, provide no significant benefit to improving air quality as vehicular emissions themselves have improved over the years,” Jon Sanders, director of the Center for Food, Power and Life, at the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “As it is, vehicles over 20 years old are exempted from the inspections. Eliminating the emissions inspections would cut the cost of an annual inspection by more than half, from $30 down to just $13.60 for the safety inspection alone.”

“NC budget eliminates vehicle emissions inspections” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.