State Goofs On 1996 Auto Emissions Tests

Wed., May 31, 2000

By Carol MacPherson carolm@spokesman.com

The math didn’t add up. Citizens complained.

Then on Tuesday, nearly six months into 2000, the Department of Ecology announced that owners of 1996 model vehicles do not need an emissions check this year, after all.

“We’ve been doing it wrong for about half a year now,” said Larry Altose, Ecology spokesman. “But we’re trying to make up for it.”

Ecology is notifying 74,000 vehicle owners in the Puget Sound, Spokane and Vancouver areas that the emissions-check notices they have received this year are not accurate. Inspection for 1996 vehicles is not due until 2001, the department said.

Owners of 1996-model autos will receive a letter detailing their options, Altose said. If they have had their emissions checked, they may request a refund of the $15 inspection fee and have their emissions checked again in 2001. Or they can simply wait and have their next inspection in 2003.

Altose estimated that half of the 74,000 vehicle owners have had the testing done.

The mix-up came from how Ecology interpreted and implemented a 1998 law that exempts vehicles less than 5 years old and more than 25 years old, starting in 2000, Altose said.

Ecology’s longtime methodology for counting a car’s age was to use the year emissions tests are due, Altose said. In the case of 1996 vehicles, emissions are due in 2001. Ecology subtracted 5 from 2001 instead of 2000.

Citizens complained and a state rules committee decided Ecology wasn’t following the meaning of the law as written, Altose said.

Mary Burg, manager of Ecology’s air-quality program issued this statement: “This is our first year of implementing a new law and clearly there are some bugs we needed to work out. We deeply apologize for this mistake and for any inconvenience we may have caused.”

Ecology has set up a hot line for owners of 1996 vehicles. Altose said callers may have to leave a message, but that a human being would definitely call back. The number is 800-453-4951. For more information, visit Ecology’s emission check Web site at http://www.wa.gov./ecology/air/airhome.html

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.