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Westmoreland Co. Considering Getting Rid Of Emissions Inspection Requirement

HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Westmoreland County currently requires car emissions inspections, but they're considering getting rid of them.

There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania, and 25 require passenger vehicles to have an emissions inspection.

"It would be nice if it went away," Greensburg resident Edward Guest said.

It just so happens a few lawmakers in Harrisburg agree and want to see the emissions test go up in smoke.

"If they're gonna do anything, they should probably do it the whole way across the state. If they would get rid of it, they should get rid of it altogether," Donnie Zappone Jr., with Zappone's Auto Service, said.

That's the main idea behind doing away with the emissions test in select counties, also.

Zappone's shop has been doing emissions tests since first mandated in the 1990s. Each shop has to pick up the tab on machines that cost thousands of dollars and often become obsolete with each new standard handed down by the state.

And then there are the cars being tested.

"All the new cars, basically, pass emissions until, basically, the warranty is up on the emission parts themselves," Zappone said.

Before motorists in Westmoreland County no longer have to worry about having that sticker on their windshield, there are a lot of things that have to be taken care of, including dealing with the federal government.

"A lot of the new cars really don't need it," Zappone said. "It would be hard for me to see the federal government getting rid of the Clean Air Act and everything they put into a place for that."

It's not impossible, though. However, getting rid of emissions stickers could mean shops miss out on revenue.

"You would be taking a portion of [business] away," Zappone said.

Some drivers in the area say they don't mind saving the $40 the average emissions test costs.

"That $40 could go back in my pocket, that's for sure," Guest said.

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