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CED-79-47 1 (1979-03-01)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaaysr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 COMMUNITV ANO ECONOMIC 09VKL.OPMENT DiVISION B-166506 108754 The Honorable Douglas M. Costle MARCH 1,1979 Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Dear Mr. Costle: 4&-7i )J We have reviewed/Environmental Protection Aency (EPA) efforts to decrease tampering wit diltomo 1 e emission con- trol devices and fuel switching--using leaded gasoline in vehicles equipped with c lytic converters and designed for unleaded gasoline./T t se practices, if widespread, will substantially increase pollutant emissions. EPA has estimated that tampering and fuel switching are occurring nationwide at about a 19 percent and lQ.percent rate, respectively. (See encs. I and II for a detailed discussion of these problems.) The problems associated with tampering and fuel switching primarily occur after the vehicle is put into service rather than as the vehicle comes off the assembly line. While EPA programs have been reasonably effective in assuring that new cars coming off the assembly line meet emission standards, they do not keep the cars from exceed- ing emission standards after they are put into actual use. /Programs dealing with the tampering practices discussed in this report have, to date, received relatively low priority./ /An active enforcement program against these types of violations would require large personnel resources and would probably be impractical at the Federal level./ Since the violations affect in-use vehicles, an enforcement pro- gram would be better suited at the State and local levels. According to EPA officials, although about 40 States presently have antitampering laws, they generally are not being actively enforced. EPA should consider the use of State and local inspec- <i.;,tion and maintenance programs as a potential deterrent to - ~tampering. The mere existence of an inspection and main- tenance program may be enough to deter some tampering. We recently issued a report entitled Better Enforcement 04 CED-79-47)

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