Southeast Michigan motorists may escape emission testing

9/16/2004

Residents in eight southeast Michigan counties who had been dreading their first-ever vehicle emissions inspection may escape after all.

The US Environmental Protection Service has reversed a decision made only five months ago that would have imposed strict controls including mandatory auto emissions testing on eight counties in southeast Michigan, including Monroe and Lenawee counties and all of metropolitan Detroit because of excessive smog.

The EPA had announced in April that the eight southeast Michigan counties had sufficient air pollution levels to be classified as "moderate nonattainment" for air quality standards. The new designation of "marginal nonattainment," which was granted this week after an appeal, means that local leaders have three fewer years to bring air quality levels in the area into compliance, but can craft their own methods to do so.

Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.