Vehicle Emissions (1998)
Because five southern Maine counties are out of compliance with the Clean Air Act, Maine is required by federal law to establish a vehicle inspection and maintenance program. While the vehicle inspection program proposed in this bill was simpler and less costly than the extensive tests required under the now-defunct CarTest program, it still met with substantial opposition. There was also debate over whether to create a statewide inspection program or to limit it to southern Maine. Ultimately, an inspection program that only applies to residents of Cumberland County was passed by the Legislature and signed into law.
