BGE Notes Improvements in State's Enhanced Vehicle Emissions Test
30 September 1997
BGE Notes Improvements in State's Enhanced Vehicle Emissions Test
BALTIMORE, Sept. 30 -- Starting October 1, when Marylanders
take their cars in for emissions inspections, they will no longer have the
choice as to whether they send their vehicles through the treadmill-like
dynamometer test. It will be mandatory.
While the new mandatory Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP) law
may be foreign to some people, it will be old hat to the drivers of BGE's
fleet. That's because for nearly two years now, BGE has been voluntarily
sending its vehicles through the enhanced emissions inspection program. And
so far, it's been a success.
In 1995, BGE took the private-sector lead in supporting the emissions
program by voluntarily agreeing to test 50 percent of its fleet over two years
using the stricter inspections. Since then, the company has sent 720 of its
more than 1,450 eligible vehicles to state-run facilities.
"Of all those we have sent, only five of our vehicles haven't passed. In
most cases, a simple tune-up was all that was needed to get them back on the
road," says Bruce Nagel, a work leader in BGE's Facilities & Fleet Management
Department.
"We've been the guinea pigs in this inspection program," says Mr. Nagel,
"and I think our participation has helped the Motor Vehicle Administration
work out some of the kinks in the process."
According to Mr. Nagel, in the very beginning BGE drivers did encounter
some long lines and inexperienced inspectors. "But, the state has come a long
way from the early weeks of operation. Now our drivers are in and out in less
than 10 minutes. No more long lines and the inspectors are all well-trained.
The whole process works much smoother. In fact, just last week, I took my
wife's van to the Erdman Avenue Inspection Station, and I was in and out in
less than five minutes," says Mr. Nagel.
Early on in the debate about VEIP, BGE took a strong stand in supporting
the state's proposed inspection program, stressing that it is an essential
step in improving air quality in the region. In meeting Clean Air Act
requirements, federal and state governments have targeted both stationary and
mobile sources of smog-producing emissions. The vehicle inspection program's
purpose is to curb a mobile source of pollution by improving auto emission
control systems, and thereby, reduce air pollutants that lead to the formation
of ozone.
BGE's support of VEIP is one part of the company's commitment to improve
air quality in Maryland. For more than 25 years, BGE has worked cooperatively
with government agencies to find ways to reduce emissions from its operations
and go beyond meeting its Clean Air Act obligations. The company is now in
the middle of a $90 million program to reduce NOx emissions from its
generating facilities by 65 percent by 1999.
But BGE recognizes that to meet the Act's goals, it's critical to
implement effective ways to curb mobile-source emissions as well. "VEIP is a
cost-effective means of reducing nitrogen oxide and volatile organic emissions
from cars and ensuring they remain as clean as when they were new," says
Dr. Bette Bauereis, BGE Director of Environmental Affairs. "It's important to
remember that everyone must work together to meet the region's environmental
goals."
For more information or if you would like to talk to any of BGE's drivers
about their experiences with VEIP, contact BGE's Public Information Office,
410-234-7433.
SOURCE Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
