Emissions testing repeal hurts small businesses
As the owner and operator of an auto repair shop, I’ve provided emissions testing in New Hampshire for many years. We invested in the equipment, trained our technicians and provided a necessary service to our community. Yet last summer, the state pulled the rug out from under us, removing the safety and emissions testing requirements from state law.
We felt the effects immediately. Car counts dropped instantly, and when car counts are down, so is our income. Inspections were the reason many customers came in the door, and we built long-lasting relationships from that first encounter. Eliminating them has cut off those relationships and ended drivers’ awareness about emissions and safety issues.
The effects extend to everyone. Many dealerships are looking at letting entry-level staff go — young people starting their careers who are now losing their jobs through no fault of their own. Emissions testing is an important way to keep our air and water clean.
Even worse, this decision wasn’t made legally. The government knew that removing the requirement without EPA approval would violate the Clean Air Act, and yet they did it anyway. Thousands of people’s livelihoods are being affected by a decision that might still be overturned, leaving us hurting financially without any certainty about the future.
Our leaders talk a lot about looking out for working families and small businesses, yet their actions say something different. We don’t deserve to be collateral damage.