Features and Benefits of the Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program

              Features and Benefits of the
VEHICLE EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE (I/M) PROGRAM
Illinois Bureau of Air
Environmental 1021 North Grand,Ave.
Protection Agency Springfield, IL 62794-9276
September 2003
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
ESTIMATED VEHICLE EMISSIONS
REDUCTIONS DUE TO I/M: 2002
VOCs CO BENZENE VOCs CO BENZENE
Tons / Day Reduced % Reduction
Northeastern 26 389 0.7 12 14 22
Illinois
Metro-East 3 45 * 12 14 *
St. Louis
VOCs = volatile organic compounds (including from hydrocarbons)
CO = carbon monoxide
* = not available
Air quality in Illinois has improved substantially since 1970
when Congress first passed the Clean Air Act, but air pollu-tion
remains a problem. In 1986, Illinois began the vehicle
inspection and maintenance (I/M) program in Northeastern
Illinois and Metro-East St. Louis to reduce air pollution and
help these regions meet federal air quality standards. The
I/M program identifies vehicles that need repairs due to
malfunctions or poor maintenance which contribute to high
emissions rates. Such repairs not only reduce air pollution,
they often improve vehicle performance and fuel economy
as well.
Motor vehicles are the largest source of air pollution in Illinois, and I/M is
one of the most important tools for reducing smog and toxic air pollutants in
particular. For example, I/M reduces emissions of smog-forming volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) by 26 tons per day in Northeastern Illinois, which
is equivalent to the emissions from 650,000 cars or 375 medium-sized facto-ries.
One study found that Illinois’ I/M program substantially reduces emis-sions
of air toxins from automobiles, including 260 tons of benzene each year.
Benzene is classified as a known human carcinogen.1
AIR POLLUTION FACTS
I/M was established to reduce
OZONE and CARBON
MONOXIDE.
OZONE is created when
volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) and other air pollutants
“cook” in sunlight. Ozone is a
lung irritant that can cause
labored breathing and aggravate
asthma and other lung diseases.
Children, senior citizens, and
people with lung and heart
diseases are most sensitive to
ozone smog.
CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)
inhibits the body’s ability to use
oxygen. Faulty furnaces and
stoves sometimes contribute to
high levels of CO indoors.
Outdoors, CO may reach con-centrations
that aggravate heart
conditions.
I/M also reduces TOXIC AIR
POLLUTANTS that may con-tribute
to cancer, immune sys-tem
disorders, respiratory irrita-tion
and other health problems.
VOC reductions from the I/M program are equivalent to the
emissions from 650,000 cars in Northeastern Illinois and
75,000 cars in Metro-East St. Louis.