The "end of the road" for I/M tests in Anchorage

Mayor Sullivan has a long record of fighting to end I/M testing in Anchorage. The reason? While I/M tests once served a legitimate purpose, cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles have made the tests unnecessary. The fact that Anchorage has not violated federally acceptable levels for carbon monoxide levels in more than a decade is proof that Anchorage residents can still enjoy clean, healthy air without being forced to subsidize a government program.

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notified the city that it would allow Anchorage to decertify, or terminate, its I/M program. Because of an ordinance that passed the Assembly in years past, the law currently states that the program be phased out over a six-month period. The Assembly members who supported the phase out claim that more time should be given to owners of emission testing businesses to adjust to the change.

Mayor Sullivan believes the phase out period is unneeded, and has introduced an ordinance to the Anchorage Assembly to kill the six-month I/M extension. Because the city took formal action two years ago to begin the long process of ending the I/M program, the mayor believes that business owners have had ample time to adjust their business model. Mayor Sullivan also thinks forcing residents to pay for a service that is no longer required by law is obtrusive and completely unnecessary.