Car emission test could soon be a thing of the past for Hamilton County

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF) – Emission tests determine the level of air pollutants emitted from the exhaust of a motor vehicle.

Senator Bo Watson said emission tests will likely no longer be required in Hamilton County come August even though it was expected to happen much earlier.

“Unwinding things at the federal level is really difficult. Obviously, representative Carter and I pass this law in Tennessee two or three years ago but getting the federal rules revealed has been a real heavy lift,” said Watson.

Senator Watson said the removal of emissions test won’t result in increased air pollution because car emissions and EPA standards are much higher than they were in the mid-2000s.

“Emission standards that cars have today are far different from what they were when this first went into effect and as everyone knows electric cars are becoming part of the more normal standard vehicle and so we anticipate that pollutants will continue to decrease and there will be no adverse effects from repealing the statute,” said Watson.

The test costs $9, but for some, the cost can end up being much higher.

“Folks who couldn’t pass the emission test or folks a good least afford it. So when you go in your car doesn’t pass you have to get $900 worth of repairs many folks are simply couldn’t afford that and we believe it was actually sort of a tax on the poor,” said Watson.

Watson wasn’t the only one working on this. So was former state Representative Mike Carter.

“He was a little bit more out in front of it than I had been. I think we will certainly celebrate the day that this happens and he will get all the credit that he deserves for the great work he put into this,” said Watson.