Auto emissions testing may be required in Charleston

Image by flickr user Simone RamellaImage by 20080613carsmok.jpg

If the Charleston area fails to meet a new federal ozone standard, motorists may be forced to get auto emissions tests. They run $30 a pop.

The new standard goes into effect in 2010 and sets a threshold of 75 parts per billion of ozone in the air and requires testing in areas that are "moderately" above the number. The Charleston area is at 74 parts today, and with population growth and port growth it's entirely plausible the area could exceed that limit.

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