	Background

EPA determined that 23 states needed enhanced I&M programs in order to meet national air quality standards. Figure 1 shows the 23 states that are required to implement enhanced I&M programs. In total, 12 states had begun testing vehicles under enhanced I&M programs by April 1998. A number of factors account for the delays in implementing enhanced I&M programs, including opposition to the stringent requirements of EPA’s enhanced I&M regulation, the reluctance of some state legislatures to provide authority and funding for the programs, and difficulties in obtaining test equipment and software support. Delays in Implementing Enhanced I&M Programs Have Slowed Efforts to Reduce Ozone Levels

Because of delays in implementing enhanced I&M programs, 19 of the 23 states are in jeopardy of not meeting deadlines for attaining the national ozone standard. EPA then allowed the states to revise their enhanced I&M programs to claim credit for the emissions reductions that are based on the future implementation of their programs, provided they demonstrated that the required VOC reductions would be achieved as soon as possible after November 1996 but no later than November 1999. Therefore, states will have to look to other mobile sources as well as stationary sources to meet their goals for reducing VOC emissions. However, obtaining the required reductions from other sources will be difficult because many of them, especially stationary sources, have already made major reductions in their VOC emissions, and any further reductions may be costly and take some time to achieve. Recommendation

In view of the pivotal role that enhanced I&M programs play in reducing VOC emissions and the delays experienced to date in implementing these programs, as well as the possibility of future delays, we recommend that the Administrator of EPA compile information on the more successful practices, such as public relations campaigns, used by the states that have implemented their enhanced I&M programs and share the information with those states that are in the early stages of developing and implementing their programs. States’ Progress in Performing Mandatory Enhanced Inspection and Maintenance Testing, as of April 1998

Number of vehicles (in millions)
These states had begun testing vehicles under an enhanced I&M program.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of states' motor vehicle inspection programs, focusing on the: (1) progress made by the 23 states that are required to implement enhanced inspection and maintenance (I&M) programs, including the difficulties that the states have encountered; and (2) impact that delays in implementing enhanced I&M programs may have on the states' ability to comply with the national air quality standard for ozone.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) two of the 23 states had begun testing vehicles by the January 1995 deadline that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set for implementing enhanced I&M programs, and 12 had begun testing vehicles as of April 1998; (2) a number of factors have contributed to delays in implementing programs; (3) opposition to EPA's enhanced I&M regulation--including the reluctance of some state legislatures to provide the legislative authority and funding needed to implement these programs--caused most of the 23 states to delay implementation; (4) in addition, the states had difficulty in obtaining new testing equipment and software support from vendors; (5) the delays in implementing enhanced I&M programs have jeopardized the states' ability to meet the deadlines for attaining the national ozone standard; (6) EPA has allowed the states to claim credit for future reductions in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from their enhanced I&M programs, provided they demonstrate that they will achieve the required reductions as soon as practical after November 1996; (7) if states cannot demonstrate that reductions in VOC can be obtained from the mandatory enhanced inspection and maintenance programs, they may have to look to other mobile sources as well as stationary sources to meet their goals for reducing these emissions; and (8) however, achieving further reductions from other sources will be costly and take longer than achieving the reductions from enhanced inspection I&M programs.