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might create economic hardships on some persons without 

 producing meaningful reductions of carbon monoxide emissions. 



Although diesel-powered vehicles and older vehicles will be 

 exempted from the emission test, they are subject to the 

 existing regulation (G.S. 20-128,1) regarding visible 

 emissions (smoke) as are all other registered motor vehicles. 

 A strong enforcement effort of this regulation is an important 

 element in an overall motor vehicle pollution control program, 

 and it assures those who are subject to the emission test 

 that diesel-powered vehicles and older vehicles do their share 

 to control pollution. In order to effectively enforce this 

 regulation, law enforcement agencies must have adequate person- 

 nel trained and certified in recognizing the various degrees 

 of visible emissions. 



Studies in existing inspection/maintenance programs have 

 shown that the average repair costs for vehicles which fail 

 the emission test are usually about $25 or $30. A great 

 majority of all the repair costs are below $50 with only a 

 small percentage of the repairs reaching over $100. Since 

 most repairs can be accomplished for under $50 and since it is 

 desirable to avoid creating any major economic hardship on 

 vehicle owners, it seems appropriate to establish a repair 

 cost ceiling that provides an adequate range for restorative 

 maintenance work yet assures the public that unreasonable 

 repair work will not be required. However, it is also 



