🚀 go-pugleaf

Serious misstatements of fact regarding California's new Smog Check II
program have recently been aired on radio call-in shows, and in paid
newspaper advertisements and anonymous flyers.  Below are some of the
most-often stated mischaracterizations of the program, followed by the
relevant facts.

For more facts, see: http://www.prnewswire.com/smogcheck.html

______________________________
Fiction:
"Sixty percent of vehicles will fail the test."

Fact:
The new, more sophisticated test equipment can now test for an additional
highly toxic
pollutant, NOx, as well as more accurately gauge other air pollutants, so
the new tests
will be more accurate in identifying cars that need repairs to their
emissions control
systems.  However, no more than about 30 percent are expected to fail the
test, and
only half of those cars - roughly 10 to 15 percent of the cars in the
state - are
expected to be found to have such high emissions that they are classified
as Gross
Polluters.  By comparison, the old Smog Check test failed about 18 percent
of cars.

______________________________
Fiction:
"If you fail the test, your car will be confiscated."

Fact:
The Smog Check II program does not include any provision for vehicle
confiscation.  In fact, the new program has no new compliance enforcement
measures, but instead relies on existing provisions in state law that
applied to the old Smog Check program.

______________________________
Fiction:
"If your car is confiscated, it will be crushed."

Fact:
The Smog Check II program has no provision for involuntary vehicle
scrappage.  The Legislature did establish a mechanism for a buy-back
program as an option available to the owners of vehicles that failed the
test, and who wished to participate in the program.  However, that program
is entirely voluntary.

______________________________
Fiction:
"The state wants to crush you car so they can sell emissions credits to
big factories."

Fact:
Cars will be scrapped only if a motorist chooses to sell a Gross Polluter
to the state or to a privately-operated scrappage program.  The projected
scrappage emissions for
cars sold to the state must be used to meet the emissions reductions
commitments under the State Clean Air Plan, and will not be used to sell
credits to factories.