Area emission tests confuse motorists

By LEIGH ZANETTI
Collegian Staff Writer

If a student owns a car registered in the Pittsburgh or Philadelphia area, they have probably found it's nearly impossible to complete the required annual emissions inspections in Centre County.

Emissions inspections were recommended by the Clean Air Act of 1990, in response to high levels of air toxins emitted by cars.

A car must be serviced if its emissions are excessive, though emissions standards vary from state to state, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's World Wide Web site (www.epa.gov).

Emissions inspections are only required where the levels of air pollutants are particularly high. In Pennsylvania, areas requiring emissions tests center on Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

As Centre County does not experience excessive pollution problems, emissions testing is not required here.

"They're working on big cities first. There's more pollutants in the air, more cars, more factories," said Sally Ripka, part owner of Ripka W.E. & Sons, Rural Route 1206 W. Beaver Ave.

The equipment needed for testing is expensive, so if there is no demonstrated need for the inspections in an area, service stations do not consider it a good investment, said Ray Starr, assistant service manager of Walk's Service Center, 1692 N. Atherton St.

"Small autobody shops can't afford it, so (the state) was thinking of setting up centers . . . where equipment would be there for everyone," he said.

Ritch Kirkpatrick, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson, said Centre County was originally considered for a 1994 plan that would have placed a centralized inspecting site within the county.

The plan ultimately was abandoned because officials feared too many cars would frequent the stations and cause traffic jams. There also was concern the extra stop would inconvenience customers.

"We decided to go to a more customer-oriented system, very customer convenient," Kirkpatrick said.

Those emissions inspections take place in nine metropolitan counties and occur at the same location as automotive maintenance and repair, which makes emissions inspection more convenient.

However, for a car owner at Penn State whose vehicle is registered in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, it is not convenient to make a trip for the sake of emissions inspecting.

"I imagine it would be a hassle," Nick Pupik (freshman-English) said.

Kirkpatrick said the EPA will review a new emissions inspecting plan for central Pennsylvania.