MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt (right) and Attorney General Martha Coakley recently announced enforcement action against seven auto inspection stations and 12 inspectors for illegally "clean scanning" cars. Boston area media attending the I&M enforcement press conference in Braintree gathered around MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and Parsons Technology inspector John Morrissey (foreground) as Morrissey shows how the new OBD auto test is completed.

The Commonwealth rolled out its "next generation" vehicle emissions testing and safety inspection program October 1st, bringing approximately 1,400 inspection stations online to handle the 4.6 million vehicle tests a year.

MassDEP and the Registry of Motor Vehicles announced that the program has a new name, Massachusetts Vehicle Check, a new contractor, Parsons Commercial Technology Group, Inc., and all vehicles model year 1996 and newer will get an emissions test every year, instead of every two years.

But, most motorists should not notice much of a difference when they pull into their neighborhood inspection station. The inspection fee remains at $29, and each passenger car, truck and SUV will be inspected using the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) testing system that has been in place since 2004.

MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt said that the simple, plug-in OBD test takes only a few minutes, but the yearly test will "be good for engine efficiency and good for the environment," helping to reduce air emissions from the transportation sector.

OBD emissions testing has also been introduced for 1997 and newer light-duty diesel vehicles (weighing 8,500 pounds or less) and 2007 and newer medium-duty diesel vehicles (weighing 8,501 to 14,000 pounds). By 2012, an additional 1.5 tons per day of smog-forming pollutants will be removed from the air.

Cars, trucks and SUVs manufactured before 1996 - which, at less than 15 percent of the fleet, currently comprise a small and declining share of all vehicles registered in Massachusetts - are either not equipped with on-board computers or not compatible with the OBD test. These older vehicles will no longer get the tailpipe emissions test, but they will fail their yearly safety tests if inspectors can see smoke coming from the tailpipe.

A motorist whose private passenger vehicle fails its OBD emissions test will have 60 days from the initial inspection to get the vehicle repaired and bring it to the same station for a free re-test. When a vehicle is fixed by a state-registered emissions repair technician, but it fails again, the motorist may qualify for a one-year emissions waiver if repair costs exceed $750, $650 or $550, depending on the age of the vehicle.

Under the new program, a motorist facing major repairs of a private passenger vehicle that fails its emissions test - such as a transmission replacement or an engine overhaul - will also have the option of applying for an economic hardship extension. This will give the motorist a one-time, one-year sticker to continue operating a vehicle while deciding whether to fix or replace it.

Parsons Technology is managing the day-to-day operations of the new Massachusetts Vehicle Check program, supporting the statewide network of 1,400 inspection stations, and offering 12 conveniently located Motorist Assistance Centers to provide advice to motorists, assistance to repair technicians, and vehicle evaluations for repair waivers.

For more information on the program, call the Massachusetts Vehicle Check hotline at 1-866-941-6277 or log on: www.mass.gov/vehiclecheck

Under Old Program, Inspectors Charged with Illegal 'Clean Scan' Activities
While the new auto inspection program was starting Oct. 1st, MassDEP and the Attorney General's office were clamping down on seven inspection stations and 12 inspectors for violations uncovered under the old testing program.

A joint Environmental Strike Force investigation by MassDEP and the Attorney General of emissions inspection stations found that these stations were issuing passing stickers on vehicles that were not in fact emissions tested. The alleged scam was carried out by conducting tests on a clean vehicle and then using the results from that test to issue a passing inspection sticker to the failing vehicle. This practice is known as "clean scanning" and is illegal.

The Attorney General filed suits in Superior Court against Hillside Jaguar of Somerville and two inspectors for conducting 208 clean scans in the past two years, and against Dorchester Auto Service, Inc. and an inspector for conducting 72 clean scans.

MassDEP filed administrative orders against five stations, two located in Framingham, two in Lawrence and one in Everett. Both MassDEP and the AG's office are seeking financial penalties and the revocation or suspension of the station and inspector licenses.

MassDEP alleges that Aoude Gulf Co. of Framingham and an inspector conducted 38 clean scans, Framingham Petroleum & Auto Center and an inspector conducted 25 clean scans, Route 114 Gulf, Inc. of Lawrence and an inspector conducted 15 clean scans, Leo and Sons Auto Repair of Lawrence and three inspectors conducted 12 clean scans, and Hi-Tech Auto Service of Everett and three inspectors conducted 15 clean scans.

The new emissions inspection program will make it much more difficult to perform fraudulent tests as the new system will kick out irregular inspection data in real-time for review by authorities, and can lock an inspector out of the computer system if the data does not match the car being tested.

For more information on the auto inspection enforcement cases, turn to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/1008emit.htm

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