During a Monday joint meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Health and Safety Committee of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, officials from the Metro Public Health Department recommended council members end the current vehicle emissions testing program and replace it with a $4 fee for each vehicle registration. The $4 fee proposal would go toward air pollution mitigation efforts.
The Tennessee Star reported the resolution filed by Metro Council Member Kevin Rhoten (District 14), RS2021-1251, was filed November 9th. According to the legislation details, “this resolution would repeal Resolution No. RS2018-1171, which authorized the continuation of the Metropolitan Government’s vehicle inspection and maintenance program, also called the emissions testing program.”
The resolution to end emissions testing in Nashville will be further discussed, and most likely voted on, at the council’s next meeting in the new year on January 4th, 2022.
Currently, residents of Davidson County must have their vehicles inspected annually and can be tested within ninety (90) days of the registration’s expiration date, according to the Davidson County Clerk. The fee for an emissions test is $9.00.
The 585,000 private cars registered to Davidson County residents account for little of the emissions polluting Nashville’s air. In fact, the vehicle emissions testing program controls only about 2% of nitrogen oxide emissions, as reported by Main Street Nashville.
The outlet further notes that on-road vehicles, which include resident and non-resident vehicles and all interstate traffic, driven in the county account for 57% of the total nitrogen oxide emissions in Nashville.
Meanwhile, five counties surrounding Davidson are set to end their emissions testing programs on January 14, 2022, according to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation. Those counties include Hamilton, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson.
In August, State Representative Joan Carter (R-Ooltewah) celebrated the removal of the emissions testing.
“Over the years, more fuel and energy efficient cars on the road made the program largely obsolete,” she said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Tell them to take their testing and $4 fee (theft) and stick it. The whole thing was a bad joke from the start.
What a joke! Metro is so crooked and apparent in their crookedness it is ridiculous. An ex council member told me, after he resigned, that the council is a nothing more than a show for the citizen peons . There will never be enough money for Metro no matter how they get the funds as long as there is the corrupt group of people that continually get rich and live off of Metro Government. If the citizens knew everything that went on they would not believe it. Metro is worse than the mafia, if you have the money and pay the right person you can get whatever you want to happen in Metro, believe it. Emission check what BS!
Happy to live in one of those counties where this nonsense hasn’t been needed in decades.
Now I can sell my catalytic converter to offset the increased price of groceries, gas..everything.
Thanks Brandon!
Why is this so difficult? Replace it with a $4 fee? Is this about air quality or money for Metro to squander?
this was always a fake money grab anyway. look at the # of vehicles idling in line for testing. no way it is a net positive.