Here's more:
On Fri, 13 Apr 2001 07:57:34 -0400 "Robyn Shick" <robyn.shick@epa.state.oh.us> writes: (added emphasis by CGS)
> April 13, 2001
>
> Dear Sirs:
>
> I wanted to take the time to address the additional questions that
> were brought up concerning diesel testing.
>
> 1) Yes, all diesel vehicles under 10,000 pounds are tested. Garbage
> trucks and school buses weigh well over 10,000 pounds, so they are
> not tested. In fact, the average sanitation vehicle weighs 40,000
> pounds and the average school bus weighs 23,000 pounds.
>
> Public vehicles are also included in the program. Ohio EPA has a
> separate government fleet program which requires all government
> fleet vehicles under 10,000 pounds to test in the odd model years
> and report directly to Ohio EPA.
>
> 2) The majority of vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds that are
> excluded from the program are those commercially plated vehicles.
> However, many of these vehicles are subject to other forms of
> regulation on a federal level. On the other hand, Ohio EPA is
> developing an urban bus program that will require emissions testing
> of all urban bus fleets in the fourteen E-Check counties as of
> January 1, 2002.
>
> 3) The E-Check station inspectors go through a minimum of 56 hours
> of training, with 16 of those being in the classroom and 40 being
> on-the-job. Part of this training is learning how to correctly test
> a vehicle. The ASM 2525 testing procedure only allows a vehicle to
> be accelerated to 25 mph. If an inspector does not, or cannot keep
> a vehicle at a steady 25 mph, the test is aborted. An idle test is
> always given at 2500 rpm. The inspector does not have to guess on
> the rpm's for each vehicle.
>
> 4) There will always be those people who avoid having their vehicles
> tested. Unfortunately, the only way to track vehicles is through
> registration. Ohio EPA would prefer that all individual's living in
> an E-Check county actually register their vehicle in that county, and
> therefore, have their vehicle tested. Although this is not always
> the case, the BMV does make an effort to identify those individual's
> registering out of their county of residence.
>
> 5) The semi-trucks that pass through E-Check counties on a daily
> basis are subject to federal regulations through manufacturing
> standards, etc. The majority of these vehicles belong to fleets
> outside of the state, so they cannot be subjected to Ohio law.
> Although these vehicles do contribute to pollution problems, they
> are not the major source of vehicle emissions in the fourteen
> E-Check counties. The air quality along the I-75, I-70, and I-71
> corridors is not poor compared to the air quality in the greater
> metropolitan areas. True these highways pass through Ohio's major
> cities, but the vehicles just passing through are not the major
> source of the problem. The major source of vehicle emissions in the
> fourteen E-Check counties can be contributed to the millions of
> vehicles driving to and from work and other activities on a daily
> basis.
>
> If you have any further questions regarding the E-Check program or
> diesel testing specifically, please do not hesitate to call me at
> (614) 728-1347 or email me at
robyn.shick@epa.state.oh.us.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Robyn Shick
> Mobile Sources Section
> Division of Air Pollution Control
>
> E000410
> >>> <cgs2000@juno.com> 04/12/01 11:11AM >>>
> Thanks, Mike: I'm forwarding this to TDI guys, with a copy to the
> original sender. Note that emphasis was added by me to cogent points
> of
> possible special interest to our group. Should we also post it on
> Fred's
> TDI Club? It definitely affects other parts of Ohio.
>
> The EPA message brings me to ask:
>
> (1) Are all diesels under 10,000 lbs really tested? I've been behind many garbage trucks and school busses which pour out soot. How much do
> they weigh? What about "public" vehicles: are they tested, or do we just inhale and enjoy?
> (2) Does "exposure to particulate matter" not cause health problems...if the vehicle should weigh more than 10,000 lbs? Are we talking about
> health or truck industry lobbying? What about the OH constitution, which mandates equal application of the law?
> (3) Should we worry about the "25 miles per hour" test? Would these folks overrev our low rev engines? I can imagine someone thinking that
> 4000 revs might be about right!
> (4) I certainly have the impression that diesel fueled trucks are never tested: do they register the trucks in a non-echeck county to circumvent
> the rule, and then drive wherever to vent the fumes? Isn't the point of impact (exhaust) more important than the county of registration.
> (5) What about the thousands of trucks which pass thru Cincinnati every day on I-75 and I-71, leaving behind their tons of particulate?
> Should we expect Ohio EPA to set up test sites, similar to the truck weighing stations, and then fine/impound violators?
