SUNSET GETTING NEARER FOR STATE'S SMOG POLLUTION.

Byline: Dennis DeCota

IN 1999, we Californians might start to notice some changes in our skies at dusk. For decades, residents and visitors alike have marveled at the dramatic, colorful sunsets unique to our state. But we might see them in a different light if we stopped to think about what causes them: air pollution.

The very unromantic compound known as oxides of nitrogen, or NOx, is what gives smog its characteristic color, and it's a key contributor to several significant health and environmental problems in California. And thanks to changes in the state's Smog Check program that promise to significantly reduce NOx in our air, this could be the year when our sunsets begin to look just a little less purple.

NOx becomes especially dangerous when sunlight converts it to a ground-level ozone, turning it into a strong bronchial irritant that can make breathing difficult, cause eyes to burn, aggravate existing respiratory diseases such as asthma, and ultimately, lead to permanent lung damage.

In 1998, for the first time ever, Smog Check stations in the smoggiest areas of the state began testing for NOx, which is only produced in vehicles under actual driving conditions. The old tailpipe inspections (which are still being performed in the less smoggy areas of the state) test vehicles for hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) only while idling; therefore, the old ``basic'' test can't detect NOx emissions.

Smog inspections performed in the state's smoggiest areas now use a treadmill-like devise called a dynamometer - nicknamed ``dynos'' - and provide more accurate readings for levels of HC and CO. The combination of NOx, HC and CO pollution makes for a triple threat to the health of all Californians, and the new testing equipment does a better job of sniffing out all three gases.

The positive health results from the new tests will be impressive. While the old tests have been very effective, the new dynamometers will help remove an additional 100 tons of pollutant a day. That means that we will cut an extra 36,500 tons of smog-causing pollutants from our skies in 1999. And this will enable us to meet our federally mandated emissions reductions, preserving federal funds earmarked for California highways.

At more than $40,000 per system, the dynamometer equipment necessary to perform NOx testing represents a substantial investment for smog stations. Initially, costs for smog checks in the smoggiest areas of the state have been higher than consumers have paid in the past for the basic idle test as stations begin to recoup their investments.

In fact, some stations increased their Smog Check prices when they began using the equipment last June; others began passing their costs on to consumers in September when NOx testing began. However, overall cost increases have been moderate on average, and have certainly failed to live up to the most dire predictions. And, as with past technology updates and changes in the program, a competitive market has already started to bring prices down throughout the state.

Most people are unaware of how the Smog Check program evolved in California. In keeping with the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initially required states to implement centralized, state-run testing programs using expensive research grade equipment called I/M240. States that did not comply risked losing federal highway funds.

California and the Bureau of Automotive Repair, long recognized as leaders in the emission-testing arena, successfully proposed an alternative emission testing program that uses effective, less expensive dynamometer-based testing and allows private industry to perform the testing and repairs. This approach has permitted free enterprise to retain thousands of jobs throughout the state, while continuing to offer automobile-loving California consumers the choice and competitive prices that only a market-driven, private-sector industry can provide.

The Smog Check program is moving away from a simple testing function and emphasizing the repair of polluting vehicles. That means that some motorists may have to spend more on repairs, since cars emitting high levels of NOx will now be identified for repair for the first time. However, if vehicles are well maintained and running clean, consumers should have no difficulties and will actually save money in the long run because a well-maintained car performs better and runs more efficiently and cheaply.

And the new test, resulting in cleaner, healthier air, means that Californians will have reasons to cheer this year. Smoggy days in our communities are not a pretty sight, and they're even uglier when you consider health risks. With this new program, our air quality will improve dramatically, which means that all of us can look forward to a day when enjoying a California sunset will be completely guilt-free.