Continuing his fight to remove Cambria County from costly and unnecessary vehicle emissions testing requirements, Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) will testify at a public hearing tomorrow before the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) at 10 a.m. at the Southwest Regional Office in Pittsburgh.
The hearing will focus on DEP’s proposed revisions to Pennsylvania’s State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning a second maintenance plan demonstrating that the Johnstown (Cambria County) area still maintains attainment levels of air quality under the federal Clean Air Act. These revisions were required as a result of a federal court case and are intended to ensure that Pennsylvania continues to meet federal emissions standards.
“This provides the perfect opportunity for DEP to finally exclude Cambria County from the program,” Langerholc said. “My testimony will show that Cambria County can be removed without any significant environmental impact.”
In 2017, Langerholc sponsored Senate Resolution 168, which directed the Joint State Government Commission to perform a detailed study of the potential impact of removing Cambria County from vehicle emissions testing requirements.
Langerholc said that data provides even more evidence that the 14-year-old requirement, which costs motorists on average $40, is no longer necessary, given the fact that the region has been consistently meeting air quality standards.
“I look forward to testifying at this public hearing to make the case that Cambria County be removed from this requirement, and now is the time for DEP to take action,” Langerholc said. “It simply makes no sense to impose this burden on area residents. I won’t stop fighting until Cambria County is removed from this onerous mandate.”
Contact:
Gwenn Dando
gdando@pasen.gov
(717)787-5400