New bill for annual smog check?

All 'bout the MONEY....

But isn't there a correlation with old cars, more likely to pollute, and lower incomes?

How much do the cars contribute compared to the WAPA power plants?

Cars contribute a lot more than people think... It isn't just the exhaust but a lot of it has to do with all kinds of leaks... Some of the worst cars I've ever seen are in STX... The worst mechanics I've met are in STX... A lot of vehicles shouldn't be on the road...

Everybody should do their part... Call it "is all about money" all you want, in the end is all about being responsible.. It is extremely easy for some people to chastise WAPA, and the islands lousy sewer system, etc., yet, they drive around with cars in bad shape, the service engine soon light turned on (or taped, or the bulb removed), oil leaks, and the catalytic conververter (and other emission systems) removed...

Many car shops in STX are more like "Patch'n Go Stops" instead of actual repair shops...

We only have one planet... Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide..

Don't kid yourselves...this initiative is really all about the money. Our insolvent government needs to create more sources of income and every agency and department has been challenged with finding new sources. Like most things run by the GVI, you'll be able to slip someone a small bribe or find other means to get around it. Its a cash grab, plain and simple.

A bill calling for the Motor Vehicle Bureau to develop a program to check vehicles for emissions also got a unanimous nod from the senators, who sent it on to the full Legislature for its consideration. An amendment includes the Planning and Natural Resources Department into the picture.

“There is no fee to the consumer,” said Sen. Sammuel Sanes, the committee chairman.

http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2014/06/13/rules-committee-approves-bills-elderly-guardianship-physical-ther

Lol...they said that when they launched the same thing in Ontario Canada where I used to live. Now the emissions test is $100.

Just wait and see...

The only emissions I see are the ones belonging to our buses and those big trucks with billowing smoke either from their stacks or the exhaust systems. Don't get stuck behind them for the long haul with no A/C

No one said there is no money involved... I am not "kidding myself"... It will not be free either...

I will not concentrate on the money thing and do what I have to do to keep my cars clean, thus, help protect the environment as much as I can... every little bit helps...

If this passes, how long do you think it will be before Chuckie tries to introduce another bill or an ammenent saying that people "born here" are exempt:D

If this passes, how long do you think it will be before Chuckie tries to introduce another bill or an ammenent saying that people "born here" are exempt:D

... and grandfather the nasty vehicles too...

New cars today are far more efficient then their predecessors. Lets face it, with the humidity, sun, and local road conditions, old cars don't last very long down here. How many twenty year old cars do you see running around anymore? Also, with fuel prices as they are, very few people are looking for massive SUV gas guzzlers.

I agree, its all about tax revenue.
Too many people have been blinded by the whole "but its good for the environment" thing. The only GREEN they're really considering is the green entering government coffers.

Hey... wheres the 40 million from the latest Environmental Lawsuit going?

http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2014/06/14/territory-wins-environmental-lawsuit

Funny, the amount is almost exactly what the legislature alloted to VI Waste Mismanagement that was stated in the VI Daily News awhile back tho I see they did reduce the amount to a mere $22.3 Million. http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2014/06/17/dejongh-submits-austere-2015-budget-50-million-less-last-year
No Doubt that all that money will be mismanaged, misappropriated, misused, misspent, wasted and stolen.
What else is new?

Every city I have seen this type of program in has shown it to just be about money.

and MOST those cities were in valley areas where it actually made sense to try and restrict localized pollution... we live on an island where the worst airborne pollution is from Africa.... going to be hard to stop that.

The last city I came from had scored "clean air" on tests for over a decade and when the topic of "smog testing" came up and if it should continue or not the reason it stayed was "money and jobs".

Basically another tax; another burden on the population that will disproportionately hurt the lower income side of the scale.

You have to have a massive gas guzzling SUV here because the roads suck so bad. I changed out my '97 Toyota Land Cruiser's suspension with heavy duty off-road stuff and gave it a 2-1/2 inch lift. Now pot holes get out of my way. I'm going to do the same with my GMC Yukon next year too.

But back to my original question: has anyone, like the EPA, measured the actual level of pollution in our islands?

I think EPA's been very involved with STX air monitoring due to Hovensa and all the other industrial sites STX has.
There are different programs within EPA for monitoring air and water. To some extent I believe they rely on DPNR and programs like NOAA. STT / STJ, don't know. Maybe just DPNR. I think they do monitor WAPA.

So if EPA measured emissions from Hovensa and WAPA wouldn't they know the total emissions from other sources, namely vehicles?

Contact EPA - They have a guy that goes between islands. Not sure if he's based in STX or PR.
I'll see if I can find his e-mail address and PM you.

So if EPA measured emissions from Hovensa and WAPA wouldn't they know the total emissions from other sources, namely vehicles?

Short answer, yes they do... They notify the government of the findings but is more of an F.Y.I.

Also, all industrial sites (Hovensa, WAPA, Diageo, Cruzan Rum, etc.) have air quality monitors installed by the E.P.A... These units have G.P.S., record, and transfer live data... The E.P.A. determines the location and, of course, no one is allowed to touch them...

L.D.A.R. (Leak Detection And Repair Program) is part of the E.P.A. best practices program... When I was working at Hovensa, they had their own L.D.A.R. Department... I am confident, they still do...

P.S. E.P.A.s Caribbean Office is in Puerto Rico

If it is anything like Ohio, 98% of the cars tested will pass. Those vehicles that do not are usually older than 20 years and get special exemptions and plates as "collectors" cars. The county which has the most vehicles registered in the state of Ohio is the county that includes the state capital is also exempt and where all of the politicians have their cars registered. Cash grab? Yes. On the bright side it will create jobs at the testing sights and will make some people warm and fuzzy because it would seem something albeit superficial is being done to protect the environment. Better to enforce current laws on the books that require a vehicle to be in safe working order. If law enforcement sees black smoke billowing from a vehicle it should be pulled over and given a safety check. Why inconvenience the many to root out the few? Something we will all learn to live though like filing our tax returns.