Establishing smoke opacity…

Establishing smoke opacity thresholds:
20% for all CMV’s 2008 – 2010
30% for all CMV’s 1991 – 2007
40% for CMV’s 1990 and older (if vehicle not a school bus)
30% for school buses (1990 and older)

Newer vehicles have emission control systems that do not function well as per class action law suits. This encourages owners to stay with older vehicles longer or seek out older vehicles to purchase therefore maintaining high levels of emissions rather than decreasing emissions. The advantages of owning an older vehicle rather than a newer vehicle for allowed emission reasons should be near zero. Older vehicle owners should be incentivized to reduce their "smoke opacity" and emissions by placing a surcharge or opacity/emission tax on them at the smoke opacity thresholds allowed and reduce such surcharge with improved emissions. There are plenty of ways to reduce emissions on older vehicles such as tires, fairings, fuel additives to improve the burn etc. The government should subsidize, regulate or tax. Thank you.