Davis County environmental health officials snipped the ribbon Thursday on the county's new state-of-the-art vehicle emissions testing and training center in Kaysville.
The $215,000 computerized facility will serve as a centralized diesel emissions test center, train and test mechanics on emissions equipment and coordinate the county's air quality program.The facility is at 520 W. Center St., just off I-15, a location county officials say is centralized and provides convenient access.
Vehicle emissions are a major hurdle in the county's struggle to comply with federal air quality standards, according to Burnell Cordner, state air quality director.
"Vehicle inspection and maintenance is a major factor in clearing the air on the Wasatch Front, especially in Davis County," which is struggling to bring its carbon monoxide and ozone emissions into federal compliance, Cordner said at the dedication Thursday.
Vehicles are the single biggest source of air pollution along the Wasatch Front, contributing up to 90 percent of the emissions, Cordner said. He believes the high-tech emissions testing center is a significant factor in reducing pollution.
Emission standards and testing for gasoline-powered vehicles have been enforced since 1984. Diesel-powered vehicles will be included beginning in July 1993.
The center is being partially financed with a $10 registration surcharge on diesel vehicles that has been collected for more than a year.
Because so few diesel-powered vehicles are on the road compared with gas-powered cars and trucks, the county believes few if any commercial emissions testing centers will invest in the equipment and training to service them.
So the county decided to build its own centralized testing center to serve diesel vehicles as well as the other areas involved in emissions testing and training.
In addition to training and certifying mechanics, the Kaysville facility tests and certifies the computerized equipment used in emissions testing by service stations and garages.
Motorists whose vehicle fails a test can have it retested at the center. The county will also use the center to set up undercover operations, taking vehicles known to be out of compliance into testing centers suspected of cheating on certifications.
The center will serve as drop-off point where county residents can take used motor oil and antifreeze.