Works and Emergency Services

City Hall

23rd Floor, East Tower

100 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

Canada M5H 2N2

February 11, 1999

To:Works and Utilities Committee

From:Barry Gutteridge, Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

Subject:Vehicle Emission Testing (All Wards)

Purpose:

To report on a Vehicle Emission Testing program for Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

None.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the Ministry of the Environment mandatory vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program, to be known as "Drive Clean," initiated for full operation by April 1, 1999 for cars and light duty trucks and by mid-1999 for heavy duty trucks, be re-endorsed; and

(2)the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services report further early in year 2000 on the experience of the provincial program and whether the City of Toronto should consider carrying out independent testing of the effectiveness of the Drive Clean Program, at that time.

Council/Committee Reference:

City Council, at its meeting on October 1 and 2, 1998, had before it Clause No. 1 contained in Report No. 11 of The Board of Health, entitled Update on the Implementation of the Provincial Mandatory Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Program (Drive Clean Program);

Council, by adopting this Clause, endorsed the action by the Ontario Minister of the Environment to implement a mandatory vehicle inspection and maintenance program using dynamometer technology that accurately measures vehicle emissions under simulated road conditions.

Further, the Works and Utilities Committee, on November 4, 1998, had before it a communication (October6, 1998) from Councillor Ila Bossons, Midtown, respecting the status of the request by the former Metropolitan Toronto Council to the Province of Ontario to implement a stringent vehicle emissions testing program, accompanied by procedures which would ensure that vehicles exceeding emission limits would be brought into conformance or taken out of operation; requesting that City of Toronto staff report on the technology, procedures and funding (user fees) that would be required to implement a vehicle emissions testing and enforcement program for automobiles and commercial vehicles in the City of Toronto and in the Greater Toronto Area with a minimum of delay; and suggesting that the City invite all municipalities in the GTA to participate in this exercise, in order that working proposals for a rigorous emissions testing/enforcement program for the GTA could be presented to the Province.

The Committee referred the aforementioned communication to the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services for a report thereon to the Committee.

Comments:

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) is in the process of implementing its Drive Clean Program as announced on November 23, 1998. The program, to be operated by private contractors and administered by MOE, will reduce the levels of smog-causing emissions from light duty vehicles (passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks) and heavy duty trucks.

Program Schedule

• Phase I of the Drive Clean Program will be fully operational by April 1, 1999. Drive Clean Facilities opened January 2, 1999 to conduct "early bird" tests.

• Cars and light duty trucks (under 4,500 kg GVWR) vehicles within the GTA and Hamilton-Wentworth will be subject to testing starting April 1, 1999.

• Heavy duty trucks and buses (over 4,500 kg GVWR) will be subject to testing starting mid-1999.

• Phase II of the program will commence on January 1, 2001 when 13 other urban areas and commuting zones will be included in the program.

Program Goals

The fully-implemented, bi-ennial testing program is expected to achieve the following:

• reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds by up to 62,000 tonnes per year; reduced carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles by up to 900,000 tonnes per year, and reduced microscopic particulates by 220 tonnes per year;

• high standards of customer service and public acceptance; and

• zero tolerance of fraud.

Program Features

• Drive Clean facilities will use a dynamometer, a device that allows testing under actual driving conditions, and a tailpipe emission tester to test vehicle emissions.

• Vehicles are accelerated on the dynamometer until they reach 40 km/hr, to simulate normal driving conditions. Several consecutive readings will be taken. The final result will be an average of the readings.

• Vehicles that fail because emission readings exceed the standard must be repaired and retested.

• The test will cost a maximum of $30.00, plus applicable taxes, and will take about 20 minutes on average.

• $200 repair cap: During the first two years of the program, owners of vehicles that fail the emissions test the first time can receive a conditional pass if they fail a re-test. In order to obtain the conditional pass, owners must be able to demonstrate that at least $200 worth of emission-related repairs were carried out at an approved Drive Clean facility. The $200 repair cap and conditional pass provision will not apply for resales.

• Proof of a passed test is required to renew vehicle registration or change vehicle ownership, such as at a resale, when a certificate of mechanical inspection is required.

• All emissions inspectors at Drive Clean test facilities must be officially certified in order to operate testing equipment.

• Testing equipment will perform to a standard that is among the most stringent in the industry.

• The Ontario Government will ensure that Drive Clean facilities are thoroughly audited to ensure the accuracy and integrity of equipment and testing procedures.

• An independent auditor will review the effective use of the overall program.

Program Technology

The technology applied in the Drive Clean Program will be an Acceleration Simulation Mode (ASM) 2525 dynamometer test for light duty vehicles operating on gasoline, propane, natural gas, methanol or ethanol. This test requires that the vehicle be operated on a chassis dynamometer at a constant speed of 40 km/h (11 m/s). During the test, the dynamometer load is adjusted in relation to the specific vehicle being tested so that the load applied to the vehicle is proportional to its weight and is roughly equivalent to climbing a grade of about 3%. Specifically, the load is approximately 25% of the power required to accelerate the vehicle at 1.5 m/s² from 40 km/h (11 m/s). Under stabilized operation, tailpipe emissions of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are measured. The volume flow rate of exhaust is not measured, but the results are recorded as a volumetric concentrations in units of parts per million for HC and NOx and percent for CO. In order to reflect the fact that vehicles are designed to meet emission standards on a mass per distance travelled basis, standards used for ASM testing are adjusted according to vehicle weight such that the standards become more stringent as vehicle weight increases.

The ASM dynamometer test provides a more accurate assessment of the performance of the vehicle under actual driving conditions than the currently common Two Speed Idle (TSI) test. In the TSI test, the vehicle is tested with the transmission in neutral and the tailpipe emissions are measured at two operating conditions - a steady 2500 rpm and curb idle.

Commencing January 1, 2001 the technology will be improved further by replacing the ASM test with a transient type emission test such as acceleration, cruise, deceleration and idling. Details are still to be finalized by the Province.

Program Resource Requirements

There are approximately 2.5 million vehicles registered in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton-Wentworth, of which one-third is estimated to be registered in Toronto. Considering a 20-minute test duration, an eight-hour shift per day and bi-annual testing, a minimum of 250 test stations will be required to meet the program objective. While as of January 26, 1999 approximately 1200 private operators have expressed interest in participating in the Drive Clean Program, only about 200 contractors have purchased the equipment and are in the process of being certified by the MOE. Forty-five stations have been certified and are up and running. The MOE expects that by March 31, 1999 there will be about 380 stations in operation. The cost of an ASM dynamometer is approximately $60,000. Accordingly, a separate program for emission testing of vehicles registered within the limits of the City of Toronto will require an investment by testing-garage operators in excess of $6 million.

Prior to signing a contract, the operator of a Drive Clean facility will require a certificate for the facility issued by the MOE. Also, personnel assigned to the Drive Clean Program must be certified as an Emissions Inspector or a Repair Technician. The issuance of a Certificate and training of personnel will require additional investment by the operators. The Certification is mandated through Regulation 361/98 under the Environmental Protection Act.

Program Adequacy

Questions have been raised about the adequacy of bi-ennial testing. While there are jurisdictions which have an annual testing program, other jurisdictions do test vehicle emissions on the bi-ennial basis as proposed by MOE. One consideration in support of a bi-ennial program is the fact that only approximately 20% of the vehicles are the "polluters." Doubling the frequency of testing would not only require twice as many test stations and twice as much investment, but also subject 80% of the vehicle owners to additional expenditures.

Strict test methods for measuring vehicle emissions will be employed as well as emission standards which vehicles must meet to pass a Drive Clean test. The legislation giving legal force to the various Drive Clean requirements is Regulation 361/98, as amended by Regulation 401/98, made under the Environmental Protection Act. The Certification program, as part of Regulation 361/98, will ensure a consistent and effective program.

Monitoring of Air Quality Improvement of Testing Program

If the City of Toronto wishes to audit independently the effectiveness of the bi-ennial testing, it could do so by purchasing and operating one set of remote sensing equipment. This equipment could be stationed periodically at various locations across the City and should confirm the trend of a decreasing number of polluting vehicles. If this can not be confirmed, the City could then advocate a more stringent Provincial program. While operating this equipment, City staff would investigate the feasibility of using this equipment to address other issues related to local ambient air quality issues and the testing of the City's fleet. The purchase price for such equipment is estimated at $300,000 and the annual equipment maintenance cost is approximately $8,000. The equipment could be operated by City staff.

City Fleet

City vehicles will have to comply with the emission standards and the test methods for measuring emissions. Accordingly, the Director of Fleet Management Services is currently investigating how best to meet the requirements of the Drive Clean Program for the City's fleet. Based on a cost comparison, he will recommend in a report to the Corporate Services Committee whether the emissions testing should be contracted out or conducted in-house. The latter will require the purchase of a number of dynamometers as well as facility and personnel certification.

Summary:

The Ministry of the Environment has set up a comprehensive, mandatory vehicle emissions testing program, which will be enforced through the process of renewal of vehicle registration and/or change of vehicle ownership registration. The mandatory testing for vehicles registered in the GTA, including Toronto, and in Hamilton-Wentworth will start on April 1, 1999. The program will employ strict test methods for measuring vehicle emissions as well as emission standards. Fully implemented, the program is expected to achieve the program goals of reducing nitrogen oxides by up to 62,000 tonnes a year, carbon dioxide by up to 900,000 tonnes and microscopic particulates by 220 tonnes annually. In view of this, it is recommended that the Provincial Drive Clean Program be re-endorsed rather than the City of Toronto implementing a parallel program of vehicle emission testing.

The Works Commissioner will report early in the year 2000 on the need, or otherwise, for the City of Toronto to carry out its own monitoring program.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Karl Hemmerich

Manager, Air Quality Improvement

Environmental Services - Technical Services Division

Tel: (416) 392-7702

Fax: (416) 392-0816

E-mail: "khemmeri@toronto.city.on.ca"

Tom Denes, P. Eng.

Executive Director

Technical Services Division

Barry Gutteridge

Commissioner

Works and Emergency Services