Treasure Valley vehicle emissions tests are going away. But what if you get a notice?
With vehicle emissions testing requirements for the Treasure Valley set to end later this month, residents will soon no longer have to get their vehicles tested.
But what if you’ve already received a testing notice?
Since the requirements still stand, Ada County residents with testing requirements due this month should still get them, said Amy Luft, a spokesperson for the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, which oversees the Ada County Air Quality Board. But notices have not been sent out if they would be due after June 30, when the plan will end, she said.
After the Idaho Legislature last year passed a law ending the requirement on July 1, the state’s Department of Environmental Quality petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency — which oversees clean air requirements — to remove the federal requirement. Earlier this month, the EPA published its decision to remove its requirement, effective July 17.
Though the federal requirement will persist for a few more weeks, Luft said the local mandates will still end after June 30.
In the past, locals could have their vehicle registration revoked if they hadn’t passed an emissions test. But Luft said that after June 30, cars with overdue emissions tests will have their registrations reinstated.
What Ada County requires on emissions testing
Emissions testing has been federally mandated in northern Ada County since the 1980s, when air quality in the region violated federal standards. Since then, the area has not violated the standards, but the federal mandates have remained, and state and local laws have implemented them.
Emissions tests for older vehicles tested exhaust to make sure pollutants fell within a certain range. On newer cars, the tests rather ensure that the car’s own emissions control systems are working properly.
As vehicle technology has improved — in part because of federal rules — modern cars no longer pollute the air with as much carbon monoxide. About 92% of vehicles pass the test on the first try, according to the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho.
Some cars — like hybrids, new cars or those made before 1981 — are exempt from testing, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
“In the abstract, being in a position where we can lift a maintenance plan for carbon monoxide is a good thing,” Patrick Bageant, a member of the Air Quality Board and a Boise City Council member, previously told the Idaho Statesman by phone.
Requirements in Canyon County and Kuna, which is part of Ada County but overseen by the Canyon County program, will also end by July 1, per state law.
But some environmentalists have opposed the changes over concerns about ozone, for which the region is close to the maximum threshold. The Idaho Conservation League has said that keeping tabs on carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds helps keep ozone levels lower.
Luft previously told the Statesman that the testing program has a small effect on ozone.
“I think it’s a great example of showing that the program has worked, so we are able to move forward,” she said.
What happens to emissions testing businesses
The emissions tests are conducted by private businesses, of which there are close to 40 listed on the Air Quality Board’s website.
Luft said Compass is working with businesses to try and recycle their testing equipment.
Doyle Savelberg, who works at Victory Greens Emission Testing in Meridian, told the Statesman by phone that he is considering opening a coffee shop at the location once the testing business dries up. He said the business rents space from a nearby gas station.
“We want to do something here, we’ve got a really nice spot here at the gas station,” he said.
This story was originally published June 21, 2023 at 10:00 AM.
