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OMA Supports Governor's Veto Of E-Check Bill

28 August 1997

OMA Supports Governor's Veto Of E-Check Bill

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 27 -- The Ohio Manufacturers'
Association today hailed Gov. Voinovich's veto of House Bill 172, E-Check
bill.  The proposed legislation would have replaced the state's enhanced auto
emissions program with a less effective, biennial auto emissions test.
    "The OMA opposed House Bill 172 because it would have made it harder for
Ohio manufacturers to comply with increasingly more stringent requirements of
the Clean Air Act," said Eric Burkland, president of the 0MA.
    According to Ohio EPA information, the E-Check auto emissions test is the
most cost-effective method for complying with clean air regulations.  Ohio EPA
data also indicates industrial sources are responsible for only 20 percent of
the emissions that contribute to the formation of ozone in the Cleveland,
Akron, Dayton and Cincinnati areas where the E-Check program is in place.
    "Our members are faced with the challenge of complying with more stringent
ozone standards, and now the state is choosing to implement a less-effective
control measure for the largest remaining source of ground level ozone,"
Burkland said.
    The recent issuance of more stringent ozone and particulate matter air
standards and a recent petition filed by eight Northeastern states means that
Ohio will have an increasingly difficult time complying with Clean Air
Standards.  The E-Check program, although unpopular, remains an important tool
in complying with the federal Clean Air Act.
    "This bill proposed to implement a less effective test at approximately
the same cost as the old test," said Holly Saelens, OMA director of public
policy.  "Even worse, in two years motorists may be paying more for a test
that is less effective at reducing air pollution."

SOURCE  Ohio Manufacturers Association