SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5740

                    AS OF FEBRUARY 23, 1993

Brief Description:  Retiring older motor vehicles to reduce air pollution.

SPONSORS: Senators Vognild, Oke, Fraser, Hochstatter, Prince, Skratek, Prentice, Drew, Sellar, Bauer and Owen

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ECOLOGY & PARKS

Staff:  Shannon Murphy (786‑7483)

Hearing Dates: February 24, 1993

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Ecology is charged with administering a program to lower automobile emissions in an effort to reduce air pollution.  Currently, the department has implemented a program requiring inspection of motor vehicle emissions in designated noncompliance and emission contributing areas. 

In 1990, the Union Oil Company (UNOCAL) implemented a program in Los Angeles, California to retire vehicles made in 1970 and earlier.  The owners were paid for turning in vehicles and UNOCAL in turn recycled the vehicles.  The program was highly successful.  Under this program UNOCAL removed 8,400 pre-1971 cars from the road.  After conducting studies on the emission levels of pre-1971 cars, UNOCAL found that some of these vehicles ran 99 percent dirtier than a 1990 vehicle.  By removing these vehicles from the road, UNOCAL was able to lower vehicle emissions by 12.8 million pounds of air pollution.

SUMMARY:

In an effort to further reduce motor vehicle emissions and reduce air pollution, the Department of Ecology is required to establish a program to retire older motor vehicles.

The program applies to motor vehicles with the greatest potential for emitting high levels of air contaminants.  Vehicles affected by the program will have their engines removed and scrapped.  The body of the vehicle will be recycled.  If the motor vehicle is reconstructed and made operational, the vehicle will be required to pass an emission inspection in order to be relicensed.

The program is limited to counties where emission inspections are currently required.  To be eligible during the first year of the program a vehicle must be registered for the 12 months preceding implementation of the program.  To be eligible for the second and proceeding years of the program a vehicle must be registered for 24 consecutive months prior to implementation of the program.

The department is required to report to the appropriate standing committee of the Legislature by June 30, 1995 on the results of the program.

Appropriation:  unspecified

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested February 11, 1993