CLEVELAND, OH — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is directing the state to begin the process of ending mandatory vehicle emissions checks, a program that has been part of life for many Northeast Ohio drivers since the late 1980s.
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The move follows a June declaration by the U.S. EPA that the region now meets federal ozone standards.
"Decades of work to reduce pollution have finally paid off to the extent we no longer believe E-check is needed to maintain federal air quality standards in Northeast Ohio," DeWine said in a statement Tuesday.
The EPA began mandating emissions tests to reduce ozone around Cleveland in the late 1980s. Ohio launched E-Check in 1996, requiring testing of many cars every two years. It currently applies to Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties.
After collecting public comment on the proposal to end testing, the state plans to submit its request to end E-check to the federal government by the end of 2026.
Not everyone is on board with the plan. Lance Boucher of the American Lung Association called the move "disappointing."
"Dropping E-check is like taking the batteries out of your smoke detector because the house hasn't caught fire," Boucher said.
Boucher credits E-check with helping reduce smog in Northeast Ohio, but says the group's most recent State of the Air report card gave "F" grades to three of the seven counties subject to E-Check.
"That's the kind of report card you'd hide from your parents, and we've made progress. But now is not the time to roll back proven public-health protocols," Boucher said.
Drivers in Northeast Ohio had mixed reactions to the potential change Tuesday.
Debbie Daniels, a Cleveland resident, said making time for the biannual test has long been a scheduling challenge.
"You have to make plans for it, you know? You have to fit it into your schedule," Daniels said.
When told the program could be ending, her reaction was immediate.
"Yay! I like that," Daniels said.
Michael Craig, also a Cleveland resident, had a different take.
"It's okay. I mean, it's good for the environment," Craig said of the current testing requirement.
He expressed surprise at the prospect of it going away.
"Oh wow! I don't understand why they would do that. I mean it's saving the ozone layer, you know?" Craig said.
Yulia Berman, a Solon resident, compared the program to an unwelcome but necessary habit.
"Like eating healthy, you know? Like maybe broccoli is not the most exciting food, I would prefer chocolate, but it's just better for our bodies so we have to do (it)," Berman said.
Ultimately, the federal government must approve the state's request to end E-check, meaning the tests are not going away anytime soon.
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