High-emitting vehicles are the key
The Rocky
Published December 29, 2007 at 12:05 a.m.
'We want to take not just hundreds or thousands but tens of thousands of cars off the road over time."
Those are bold words from Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automotive Dealers Association, who spoke to us Friday about his group's plan to target old, high-polluting vehicles through a new nonprofit foundation.
Whether the ambitious goal is reached or not, however, at least the association has settled on a sensible strategy. The key to cost-effective reductions in vehicle emissions is to identify and repair - or retire, if they can't be repaired - the small percentage of vehicles that contribute such a large portion of total emissions.
The "retire" part is where the automotive dealers' foundation would come in. By contributing a polluting car to the foundation, the owner would qualify for a tax credit. In addition, Jackson says, "We'll pay the freight to get the vehicle to the crusher," as well as "peel the tires, drain the oil and coolant, and recycle whatever we can."
Is a tax break enough to attract thousands of owners of old, polluting cars, particularly if many of those owners don't pay much income tax to begin with? We don't know. But Jackson's group is not the first to solicit donations of old cars, and it's a plea that seems to work for other groups. The difference is that in this case those cars would be taken off the streets for good.
If a tax incentive isn't enough, the auto dealers appear ready to adjust the fledgling program to make it work; they may discover they have to offer a modest purchase price to attract enough old cars to make a difference.
By coincidence, the state has also decided to target high-polluting cars next year - and its RapidScreen roadside testing program will have far broader reach than any voluntary program (although the two could certainly work in tandem). Up to now, polluting vehicles identified by remote sensors in a pilot program were contacted and politely prodded toward a maintenance shop - with the lure being the state would cover the cost of repairs. Starting Jan. 1, this gentle approach is over: Owners of emissions-spewing vehicles will be ordered to get repairs under threat of a fine and finding their vehicle registration at risk.
We've been urging such a policy for, oh, only 15 or 20 years, so needless to say we're delighted that the state is finally determined to crack down on the biggest individual contributors to this region's air-quality problems. We'd actually go further. Since 2003, motorists who spend $715 on repairs but still can't stop their vehicles from belching pollutants can apply for an emissions waiver from the state - and then continue to drive the same high-polluting vehicles. This waiver program is built on good intentions - to shield the poor from potentially higher repair bills - but it no longer makes sense when the region is once again in violation of federal air-quality standards.
The poor don't qualify for waivers to break other environmental laws. They can't burn tires at home or dump mattresses in parks because they may have a harder time getting to a dump. It's time that everyone in metro Denver play by the same rules. If you own a polluting car, you should have one choice only: Fix it or retire it. Those who refuse should start to feel the heat.
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December 29, 2007
12:32 a.m.
Suggest removal
Jimminy writes:
Uh,oh.They're after the classic cars again.All you guys that love Detroit Iron better get mobilized.
December 29, 2007
5:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
Theoldguy writes:
No one seems to get very excited about all the semi-trucks that spew pollution. I guess it's better to go after the little guy that can hardly afford food let alone the commute to a low paying job. I guess we all can't afford to live in the mountains.
December 29, 2007
6:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
I_am_not_fooled writes:
Interesting....the Colorado Automotive Dealers Association offers a plan that uses our tax dollars as an incentive.....not to remove cars from the road, but to hopefully increase sales by forcing some people out of their current vehicles. Only a fool could not see the underlying intent of this proposal. I might have believed the sincerity of this plan if it had come from an environmental group, but not from a group of plaid-coat wearing hucksters.
December 29, 2007
10:23 a.m.
Suggest removal
irisman writes:
Getting rid of clunkers is a good idea. I have a low emission car, and each time I have it tested, its emissions are practically nil. given the choice, I would prefer to contribute the $25 to taking clunkers off the road instead of wasting an hour at the emissions test station.
December 29, 2007
1:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
gary writes:
How about the belching RTD buses running around, except for rush hour, almost empty all day long?? Not to mention all of the streets the RTD buses tear up every year. Plus the stink of them on the 16th Street Mall! Denver tore out the electic buses many years ago, why??
Yes, Colorado auto dealers can save our air...just give them our money!!
December 30, 2007
3:41 a.m.
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Rangerjoe1 writes:
Hey "Theoldguy" You've hit it (kinda on the head) "They" lower our wages, raise gas prices, send our jobs over seas, or give them to low wage mexicans. I don't fault the truckers, can't send produce over the enternet. Since most working familys won't be able to own a home soon we may need this fantasy of global warming to heat our tents. Since politicians don't give a rats ass about low wages ( illegal immigrants)maybe a tax increase so the gov't can just buy us a new low emmisions autos.
December 31, 2007
10:23 a.m.
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Navy writes:
Denver is breaking the EPA limits because the EPA lowered the limits!