Jon Husted

Speaker

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     Contact: Stephen Clegg

February 22, 2005                                                                                        (614) 466–8134

 

Local Legislator Announces End to E-Check

 

COLUMBUS –State Representative Joseph Uecker (R-Loveland) today joined Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted (R-Kettering), Ohio Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) and Ohio EPA officials, to recommend ending the controversial E-Check vehicle emissions testing program in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas at the end of 2005.

 

The recommendation came after a thorough analysis of the projected future effectiveness of the program was conducted by the Ohio EPA. The announcement was made at a Columbus press conference earlier today.

 

“We are eliminating the requirement of this system for more than 85 percent of the population,” said Husted. “We want to give as much relief to as many Ohioans as possible.”

 

While southwest Ohio counties would no longer be required to comply with the auto-emissions testing, the E-check program would be retained in both the Cleveland and Akron areas through emissions testing on vehicles older than four years.

 

Ohio EPA Director Joseph Koncelik said the Ohio EPA challenges federal mandatory programs like E-Check, because the Ohio EPA is a strong believer that states should be given flexibility in choosing a mix of controls to meet new ozone standards. Although it makes sense to end the program in southwest Ohio, he said, federal law mandates that E-check be replaced with additional controls on other types of air pollution emissions programs including the use of cleaner-burning gasoline.

 

“E-Check may have had merit 10 years ago when automobiles were less efficient in their exhaust,” said Uecker. “Today’s automobiles and fuel are much cleaner and put out less pollution; therefore it no longer makes sense to have this program with such a diminished return for our money.”