A COST-EFFECTIVENESS STUDY OF CARBON-MONOXIDE EMISSIONS REDUCTION UTILIZING REMOTE-SENSING

The cost-effectiveness of identification and repair of vehicles with e xcessive carbon monoxide emissions was investigated over the 1991-92 w inter period in Provo, Utah. This pilot program used on-road remote se nsing at two locations to identify repeat gross polluting vehicles. Th e owners of gross polluters observed at one of the locations were soli cited for a free repair program carried out under the direction of the Utah Valley Community College, Auto-Diesel Division. The same two loc ations were revisited after the repair program had terminated and the vehicle emissions were remeasured. More than 17,000 measurements of ov er 10,000 individual vehicles were obtained. As observed elsewhere, ha lf of the total carbon monoxide was emitted by only about ten percent of the vehicles. Solicitation letters were sent to 114 owners and 47 v ehicles were recruited and repairs attempted. Of the 47 vehicles, 28 w ere remeasured when the site was revisited at the end of the program. They had improved their measured on-road emissions by more than 50 per cent. The vehicles which were identified as gross polluters at the sec ond location - but were not notified of their status - were used as a control group. Their emissions were also reduced, as expected, but onl y by 14 percent. This pilot program demonstrates carbon monoxide emiss ions reduction at a cost effectiveness of $200 per ton, not including the cost benefits of gas mileage improvement. Two hundred dollars per ton is lower than many current or proposed mandated programs. The owne r's repair cost would more than pay for itself in terms of improved fu el economy. The program would also generate the on-road fleet emission s data necessary to evaluate its effectiveness. Without such data, a p rogram is forced to rely upon computer modeling with its known limitat ions.