Ohio Republicans thought the Trump administration would rubber-stamp their plan to scrap vehicle emissions testing in Northeast Ohio, but they just hit a major roadblock, and the Today in Ohio podcast team says of course they did.
Hosts asked Monday how anyone thought it was a good idea to replace actual emissions testing in E-Check with drivers simply attesting their cars don’t pollute.
“Basically, you can’t police air pollution on the honor system,” Leila Atassi said. “The EPA flat out said inspections are a critical enforcement mechanism and without them, tens of thousands of high-polluting vehicles could stay on the road without any consequences.”
The Republican proposal would have eliminated the biannual requirement for vehicles in seven Northeast Ohio counties to undergo emissions testing. Instead, drivers would simply sign a form attesting that their vehicle meets emissions standards—with no actual testing required.
Chris Quinn said the proposal to have people sign statements claiming their cars don’t pollute presumes people have the ability to test. “How am I, Joe Q. Public going to be able to say whether my car is polluting or not? Who has that kind of equipment in their garage?”
The EPA’s formal ruling stated that the self-attestation approach would violate the federal Clean Air Act and undermine Northeast Ohio’s progress toward meeting federal ozone standards. The agency emphasized that E-Check serves a critical purpose—in 2022 alone, testing nearly 800,000 vehicles kept hundreds of tons of harmful pollutants out of the air, including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide that directly impact public health.
Atassi took particular issue with the stated justification for eliminating E-Check. Republican lawmakers have argued the program is especially burdensome for lower-income drivers with older cars.
“I am always suspicious when Republicans claim to take a position based on how a law impacts low-income people,” Atassi said. “This bill sponsor is showing a striking and sudden concern for low-income Ohioans here. This from the very same politicians who are usually first in line to say if you can’t afford kids, don’t have them.”
Despite the EPA’s clear rejection, E-Check opponents aren’t giving up. They might appeal directly to Trump, hoping the administration’s broader rollback of environmental regulations might eventually override the decision.
In the meantime, Northeast Ohio residents will continue making their biennial trips to E-Check stations—a process Quinn noted “isn’t that inconvenient. Every two years, you got to drive in. It’s free. They have centers at multiple places. Yeah, it’s one of life’s annoyances, but it’s not a huge inconvenience.”
Listen to the discussion here.
Listen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston.