Contents

Fix it!
Air Care News
Emissions Repair Guide
Tech training
Enforcement news
Get registered
Top techs
High altitude study
Repair site index
Repair links
About Envirotest
Repair Bay home
Air Care CO Home

Air Care News
July 2001

Car Care Clinic promotes regular vehicle maintenance and air quality
by Christopher Dann

Dozens of Denver-metropolitan area motorists had their vehicles' fluid levels checked, belts and hoses inspected, and other services performed free of charge on Saturday, June 9 as part of Conoco's Car Care for Cleaner Air Clinic.

Organized by the Regional Air Quality Council with participation from NAPA Auto Care and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the event was designed to raise awareness about the link between regular vehicle maintenance and improved air quality.

Free vehicle inspections were available to all from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Conoco Breakplace on the west side of the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver.

Participating motorists first were routed past the University of Denver’s "Smart Sign," which utilizes remote sensing technology to produce a snapshot of a vehicle’s emissions by instantaneously analyzing the exhaust plume.

Motorists then parked their vehicles so that a team of NAPA Auto Care technicians could run through a checklist of items that included checking tire pressure, fluid levels, and belts and hoses. NAPA technicians also used hand-held pressure testing equipment to check the integrity of gas caps.

Failing gas caps were replaced immediately free-of-charge (see next story for more information on the 2nd annual "Put a Cap on Ozone" campaign co-sponsored by NAPA Auto Care and Envirotest Systems).

Vic Cooper, an environmental protection specialist from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Emissions Technical Centers, also was on on hand with mobile diagnostic equipment to chat with participants and check codes.

The weekly NAPA Auto Care Show on KHOW radio also showed support for the Car Care Clinic by broadcasting live from the Conoco Breakplace from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Regional Air Quality Council hopes to conduct more Car Care Clinics at different locations throughout the Denver metropolitan area in the coming months.

"The Car Care Clinic is a great way for us to work collaboratively with the repair industry and get out our common message – that regular vehicle maintenance is good for your car, your wallet and our air," said Ken Lloyd, executive director of the Regional Air Quality Council. "NAPA Auto Care’s participation is so important. They generate some good will with motorists and we get the opportunity to spread the word about air quality. It’s a win for everyone involved."

Christopher Dann is the public information officer for the Air Pollution Control Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Back to Air Care News article index.
Back to top.

"Put A Cap on Ozone" program returns for 2001 summer ozone season
by Christopher Dann

Envirotest Systems and NAPA Auto Care have joined forces again this summer to help fight the Denver metropolitan area’s ongoing war with ground-level ozone pollution.

Thousands of replacement gas caps will be given away this summer at Air Care Colorado emissions testing centers and independent testing stations across town. The "Put a Cap on Ozone" program is a key component of the summertime air pollution outreach effort spearheaded by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

"We’re pleased to once again participate in and co-sponsor this worthy program," said Derrick Pickeral, general manager for Envirotest Systems' Colorado programs.

"Motorists with failing caps not only receive the immediate benefit from a free replacement that will help them pass their emissions inspection, they also save money in the long run."

Faulty gas caps can cause a vehicle to lose a gallon of gasoline or more every two weeks in the summertime through simple evaporation. From now until September 15 (or while supplies last), motorists getting an emissions test who are found to have a faulty gas cap, or are simply missing one altogether, will receive a free NAPA gas cap or a $5 voucher toward the purchase of a new one.

The "Put a Cap on Ozone" program was launched last summer as part of the ground-level ozone voluntary outreach effort, now in its third summer. Last year, the program distributed more than 10,000 replacement gas caps, amounting to a reduction of more than 600 pounds per day of volatile organic compound emissions from gas tanks.

Ground-level ozone is formed when pollutants are released into the atmosphere and react in the presence of sunlight. The ozone created is a lung irritant that triggers asthma attacks, worsens pre-existing respiratory conditions and makes breathing more labored even for healthy persons.

"Evaporative emissions from faulty and missing gas caps can amount to nearly three tons of air pollution per day on their own," said Ken Lloyd, executive director for the RAQC. "By replacing these caps, we can take an important step toward reducing emissions and combating our summertime air pollution problem."

As a result of the success of last year’s program, the gas cap give-away has been expanded to include participating major employer sites. Volunteers have already replaced dozens of faulty gas caps at sites like Roche Colorado in Boulder and Hunter Douglas in Broomfield.

A voluntary outreach program, put in place because of high ozone readings in 1998, is designed to educate residents about the dangers of ground-level ozone, and to keep the Denver metropolitan area in compliance with new federal ground-level ozone standards.

Meteorologists for the CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division issue Ozone Action Day Alerts on days when ozone levels are in danger of exceeding the federal limits. Voluntary actions requested of residents during the critical summer months include avoiding overfilling gas tanks when refueling, delaying yard work with gasoline-powered equipment until an alert has expired and regular, proper vehicle maintenance.

Funding for the $100,000 "Put a Cap on Ozone" program is being provided by Envirotest Systems, NAPA Auto Care and a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program grant administered locally by the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Christopher Dann is the public information officer for the Air Pollution Control Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Back to Air Care News article index.
Back to top.

UPS audit confirms commitment to clean air
by Tom Myrsiades

The United Parcel Service (UPS) recently submitted to an unannounced fleet audit conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR).

The team of auditors and technicians from the EPA, along with Jim Bush from CDOR, performed the audit in April 2001 at the UPS terminal in Commerce City. The audit was conducted at night because UPS vehicles generally are out making deliveries during daytime hours.

Records and files were reviewed and the team conducted several inspections of vehicles. After looking at the fleet, EPA gave it a passing grade. However, this has not always been the case.

A similar audit conducted several years ago resulted in a less favorable finding. A 1988 audit found hundreds of vehicles in a failing or tampered condition. Many UPS vehicles were found to be missing emissions equipment and were unable to pass a standard tailpipe. The 1988 audit led to an agreement between EPA and UPS to reconfigure the entire fleet of older vehicles. In some cases, the entire engine, drive train, exhaust and fuel system were replaced with upgraded systems. This also included the addition of check engine light systems with wiring and controls making them compliant with the latest technology for that time. The cost was substantial, involving several thousand vehicles nation-wide and reported to cost as much as $4,000 per vehicle.

The Colorado Department of Revenue is pleased with the findings of the April 2001 audit, and commends UPS for its commitment to clean air and compliance with state and federal emissions laws and regulations.

Tom Myrsiades is an Emissions Compliance Supervisor at the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Back to Air Care News article index.
Back to top.