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The US Environmental Protection Agency has launched an investigation into the state's auto emissions program after allegations surfaced that state officials have known for two years that their test fails to detect many polluting vehicles.
The $29 test Massachusetts instituted in 1999 has never accurately measured two key tailpipe gases, according to internal state documents obtained by the Globe.
But instead of admitting the defects to the federal government, the state has been quietly adjusting the test and massaging two years of data to account for changes to the system. The state Department of Environmental Protection plans to release a report on the program this week.
EPA regional spokesman Peyton Fleming confirmed that the EPA's Office of the Inspector General is investigating whether the DEP knowingly misrepresented its progress in controlling emissions that cause ground-level pollution.
Most of the 4.2 million registered vehicles in the state are required to undergo the emission test, in which a car or light truck is fixed in place and run through a simulated driving pattern.
Since the state quietly adjusted its test software in July 2001, roughly 4 to 5 percent of vehicles have been failing emissions tests -- a much lower rate than the 10 to 15 percent of vehicles that were expected to fail and would require repairs. David Conroy, the EPA's manager of air quality planning, said he has asked the state to document why its failure rate is so low.
Auto shop owners and those who have examined the system say the problem is obvious: The test is flawed.
Cars that have excessive exhaust fumes are able to receive a passing grade.
"If you take a car that's blowing smoke out the back of the car, there's a good chance it will pass in Massachusetts and fail in Rhode Island,'" said Massachusetts Inspector General Gregory W. Sullivan, who is issuing a report to Governor Mitt Romney today charging that the DEP is allowing tens of thousands of polluting vehicles to remain on the road.
"These are the borderline cars that we want to get off the road," Sullivan said.
DEP officials acknowledged last week that their test is less accurate than the one recommended by the EPA but said they have made improvements lately. They said their report will demonstrate that, after several adjustments, the current test does effectively measure both carbon monoxide, which is toxic, and hydrocarbons, a chemical compound that contributes to ground-level ozone. But the DEP admits the test still fails to precisely gauge ozone-causing nitrogen oxides.
"It's accurate enough to catch almost all of the dirty vehicles almost all of the time," said Frederick T. Civian, DEP manager of transportation programs. "The irony here is that what the report will show is that we've been going out of our way to increase the accuracy of this test because we think it's a good deal for Massachusetts motorists."
The EPA reports that Massachusetts remains a ''serious non-attainment area,'' meaning the state has not met federal standards for ground-level ozone, which can make breathing difficult.
Stephanie Ebbert can be reached at ebbert@globe.com
This story ran on page A1 of the Boston Globe on 7/6/2003.
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.