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HOT [Well really just luke warm] NEWS! from OCCC
The two issues that were burning several months ago, what to do about the smog producing “Collector Cars” ... the Collector Car Plate issue, and the bill to increase the license fees about $100 per year per car you own, have gone to ground, since the legislators could not get it together before the legislative session ended. No new information this month from Leo Boyle, the OCCC lobbiest.
NEW: The following is a “Rehashed” PROPOSAL by OCCC to the Regional Air Quality Council (An industry group) The “Keith” in this report is Keith Hall the President of OCCC. NONE of this is LAW yet, and all suggestions must be approved and voted on by the legislature ... it will be a long time before this is settled. ... Andy Wiedeman [My comments and edits to make this readable by those without an inside knowledge of the OCCC jargon are in brackets]
From Keith Hall [President of OCCC]
- “There was a meeting with RAQC last week to review, come to agreement as to what a bill might look like for the Collector Car Series Plates. And what we [the OCCC and RAQC] came up with was a cutoff of 1975 for the Collector Series Plates. With anything 1975 or earlier automatically eligible for Collector Plates. With NO other conditions put on them, and they [the RAQC] agreed to that. So, no other provision, no mileage limitations, no other conditions. [... so how do daily driver[s], beater[s] and cheater[s] ... [which are] “Gross Emitters” get disqualified? [how about those which] are ID’d by sniffer vans, then are called in, have to account for themselves. ... editor]
- There was discussion about having some sort of a petition process for newer [than 1975] vehicles [such as 1980 & up Corvettes] but they [the RAQC] would have nothing to do with that. They came up with a thousand different reasons why that wouldn’t work, and we were just not getting anywhere...
- So we [the OCCC] did a tradeoff. We [the OCCC] agreed to the 1975 cutoff date and they gave us [the OCCC] complete elimination of emissions testing for that date or earlier, or.. ...an exemption So all 1975 and earlier vehicles will be testing exempt,- you won’t need an emissions test certificate. Keith noted, it is ‘his understanding that they don’t even want a one-time initial test [to qualify]. They will just exempt 1975 and earlier.’ [NOTE: the horseless carriage plate which does not require any emissions testing begins at 1958 therefore only 17 manufacturing years will qualify for a collector plate, and only an additional 15 model years for no emissions testing ... after 2025 [in 16 years] the collector plate designation will be moot and go away ... yer editor]
- Now, the question still arises as to exactly how they’re going to do the exemption? They could do that by a note from the Director of the Dept. of Revenue - that’s been in the law for quite some time. But I’m thinking that if we [the OCCC] push this through as a note within the new bill, all Collector Series Plates will be exempt, if you [have a vehicles which] are 1975 or earlier. If applying, you will immediately be granted an exemption from emissions. But the way the Dept of Health and Environment was talking, they would like to do away with all emissions testing [requirements..?] on ‘75 and earlier? They do that now on 1960 and earlier, and they may move that up to 1975? Was noted by Dept. of Health that nearly all 1975 and earlier will likely not fall into gross emitter category unless something is really wrong with the vehicle. [NOTE: If the Dept of Health gets its way this OCCC proposal will have no teeth]
- Keith Hall finished, basically saying the Dept of Health is looking long-term with this. [and] know it will take a while to weed out offenders, etc. Existing post 1975 Collector Series Plated vehicles will be grandfathered in, and this will likely not be implemented until July-2009. So if anyone wants to have a Collector Series Plate on a post-1975 vehicle you have a while to go get qualified and get plates - but note the plates belong to the owner, not the car so if the vehicle is sold the new owner will not be able to get Collector Plates. Also, if you let a plate expire, it might not be renewed?
- Keith Hall reminded that in reality, no vehicle [see NOTE 2 below] is exempt from the gross emitter category, i.e. if one goes past a sniffer van three times with in ‘a short period of time’ [..which is? Is codified where?] then that owner will be called in and have to go to an Enviro-Test tech station where vehicle will be looked at to see what can be done to remedy? Sniffer vans are used in the Denver Metro Area, are set up on entrance ramps to the freeways, and cannot by law be used on weekends...” [NOTE 1: What Hall does not say is that this is a test program sponsored by the RAQC and has no force of law, see the information in a separate report on this page ... NOTE 2: Hall is mistaken in this, if you have a 1958 or earlier vehicle which is licensed under the “Horseless Carriage” Special Licensing provision it IS EXEMPT from EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS AND TESTING!!! ... yer editor]
- There were then several misc. questions and comments from the floor [of the OCCC Meeting]. It should be noted the final form of what will be taken ‘to the floor’ has yet to be drafted and so we will have to wait to see what that turns out to be. Leo [Boyle] will be watching for this to appear, will bring it to us.
Leo Boyle the OCCC legislative failed to show up to the meeting since he did not know that it was in Colo. Sprngs.
Cheers ... Andy Wiedeman
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