Sec. 6306.

(1) Each motor vehicle subject to this part shall be inspected for emissions as provided in this part. A person shall not operate a motor vehicle subject to this part whose certificate of compliance has expired or who has not received a time extension or waiver and whose vehicle fails to meet emission cut points established by the department or other emission control requirements established by the department in this part. If a vehicle subject to testing under this part has not been tested within the previous 12 months, the prospective seller of the vehicle shall have the vehicle tested and complete necessary repairs before offering the vehicle for sale.

(2) To enforce this section, the department shall implement and administer a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program designed to meet the performance standards for a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program as established by the United States environmental protection agency in 40 C.F.R. 51.351 in the counties of Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon in those areas that are not in attainment of the national ambient air quality standards for ozone. However, those counties that would be in attainment of the national ambient air quality standards for ozone, given base line emissions for that county, but for emissions emanating from outside of the state, are excluded from implementation of such a program unless the department of environmental quality shall affirmatively determine by clear and convincing evidence, based on study of formation and transport of ozone, that the control of motor vehicle emissions would significantly contribute to the attainment of the national ambient air quality standards for ozone as promulgated under the clean air act. The motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program shall include the following test procedures and components:

(a) Biennial testing.

(b) Test-only network.

(c) Transient mass-emission evaporative system, purge, and pressure testing on 1981 and later model year vehicles using the IM240 driving cycle.

(d) Two-speed idle testing, antitampering, and pressure test on 1975 to 1980 vehicles in accordance with the following:

(i) Visual antitampering inspection of the catalytic converter, gas cap, PCV valve, air pump, and fuel inlet restrictor on light-duty gas vehicles and light-duty gas trucks of 10,000 pounds or less gross vehicle weight.

(ii) Pressure test of the evaporative system for light-duty gas vehicles and light-duty gas trucks of 10,000 pounds or less gross vehicle weight.

(e) On-board diagnostic check for vehicles so equipped.

(3) The cut points set forth in test procedures, quality control requirements, and equipment specifications issued by the United States environmental protection agency are hereby adopted for the emissions testing program authorized in this part.

(4) Equipment and test procedures shall meet the requirements of appendices A through E to subpart S of 40 C.F.R. 51 and the test procedures, quality control requirements, and equipment specifications issued by the United States environmental protection agency.

(5) Vehicles shall be subject to inspection according to the following:

(a) The first initial inspection under this part for each even numbered model year vehicle shall take place within 6 months before the expiration of the vehicle registration in an even numbered calendar year.

(b) The first initial inspection under this part for each odd numbered model year vehicle shall take place within 6 months before the expiration of the vehicle registration in an odd numbered calendar year.

(6) The department, in consultation with the department of state and the department of environmental quality, may promulgate rules for the administration of the motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(a) Standards for public inspection station equipment, including emission testing equipment.

(b) Emission test cut points and other emission control requirements based on the clean air act and the state implementation plan.

(c) Exemptions from inspections as authorized under this part.

(d) Standards and procedures for the issuance of certificates of compliance and certificates of waiver from inspection and maintenance program requirements.

(e) Rules to ensure that owners of motor vehicles registered in this state who temporarily reside out of state are not unduly inconvenienced by the requirements of this part. The rules may include any of the following:

(i) Reciprocal agreements with other states that require motor vehicle inspections that are at least as stringent as those required under this part and rules promulgated under this part.

(ii) Provision for time extensions of not more than 2 years for persons temporarily residing in a state, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United States with which this state has not entered into a reciprocal agreement for vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance. Additional time extensions shall be granted to persons temporarily residing out of state because of military service.

(7) The department may promulgate rules to require the inspection of motor vehicles through the use of remote sensing devices. These rules may provide for use of remote sensing devices for research purposes, but shall not provide for any checklanes or other measures by which motorists will be stopped on highways or other areas open to the general public.

(8) Upon receipt of documentation from the department, the department of state may suspend the registration of any vehicle that is not in compliance with this part and the rules promulgated under this part and for which the required certificate of compliance has not been obtained.

(9) If any area in this state subject to this part is redesignated by the United States environmental protection agency as being in attainment with the national ambient air quality standards for ozone, a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program authorized by this part is suspended and shall only be reimplemented if required as a contingency measure included in a maintenance plan approved by the United States environmental protection agency as part of the redesignation as an ozone attainment area. The department may only implement the contingency measure if there is observation of an actual violation of the ozone national ambient air quality standard under 40 C.F.R. 50.9 during the maintenance period.

(10) Implementation of a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program authorized by this part shall be suspended if the classification of the Grand Rapids and Muskegon ozone nonattainment areas is adjusted from moderate ozone nonattainment areas to transitional or marginal nonattainment areas by the United States environmental protection agency pursuant to its authority under section 181 of the clean air act, 42 U.S.C. 7511, or if the United States environmental protection agency determines that a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program is not applicable or is not necessary for either of these areas to meet the requirements of the clean air act.

History: Add. 1995, Act 60, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 564, Imd. Eff. Jan. 16, 1997 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA