World Wide Air Quality and Vehicle Emissions Issues Examined at Clean-Air Conference

Note to Editors: Media representatives are invited to attend the annual Mobile Sources/Clean Air Conference Sept. 19-22 at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort Conference Center in Steamboat Springs, Colo. To arrange interviews or attendance, contact June Greist at (970) 491-6432.

More than 350 environmentalists, government activists, auto industry representatives and academic leaders from across the U.S. and several other countries will attend the 16th annual Mobile Source/Clean Air Conference Sept. 19-22 at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort and Conference Center in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The conference is presented by the National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety at Colorado State University.

The conference is designed to build a partnership among groups with a common commitment to finding solutions to air quality problems caused by mobile sources. Participants will discuss the most recent developments in vehicle emissions and air quality, with topics including industry issues, policies and regulations, latest technology and program development.

"This conference examines the many aspects of the growing vehicle emissions problem," said Birgit Wolff, director of the National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety. "It is an open forum where environmentalists talk with auto industry representatives and policy makers discuss implementation with technicians. Everyone is interested in creating solutions through improvements in programs, laws and technology."

Highlights of the conference include a panel discussion on international clean air solutions and an evaluation of current vehicle inspection and maintenance programs. Discussion topics will include on-board diagnostics II, evaporative emissions and the human response to on-board diagnostics. The conference also will include the following panel presentations, case studies, demonstrations and debates.

Sept. 19

3-9 p.m.

  • Registration, information and opening reception.

Sept. 20

8:30 a.m.-noon

  • "United States Environmental Protection Agency Vision 2001."
  • "Inspection and Maintenance Program Evaluation."
  • "Quality Assurance in Inspection/Maintenance Programs."

1:30-5:15 p.m.

  • "Transient Mass Emissions Test Instrumental Issues."
  • "Y2K Program Implementation."
  • "UV Sensing of Auto Emissions."
  • "Success and Failures of On-Board Diagnostics Program
  • Implementation."
  • "Mobile 6."
  • "Vehicle Identification in the Aftermarket and Integrated
  • Shop Equipment."
  • "Diesel Inspection and Maintenance."
  • "Non-Road Sources of Vehicle Emissions."
  • "Guadalajara’s Emissions Program."
  • "Repair Effectiveness and Improving the Repair Process."

Sept. 21

8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

  • "Evaluation of California’s Enhanced Smog Chek Program."
  • "Ask United States Environmental Protection Agency."
  • "On-Board Diagnostics II Primer."
  • "Outreach/Implementation."
  • "Air Pollution Abatement with Hypercar Technology."
  • "On-Board Diagnostics Issues/Mobile 6."

12:15 p.m.-5 p.m.

  • Hands-on demonstrations.
  • "Emissions Service Bulletin and Motorist Outreach."
  • "CSU – On-Board Diagnostics II Vehicle Study Update."
  • "Positive and Negative Effects of Global Warming."
  • "On-Board Diagnostics Outreach to the Repair Industry:
  • Learning from Post-Program Startups."
  • "Student Outreach: The Cars, Cultures and Cures(C3) Project to Cleaner Air."
  • "Selected State-by-State Update."
  • "Evaporative Emissions Measurements."
  • "Evaporative Emissions Study Results."
  • "California Emissions Study."

8 p.m.-10 p.m.

  • "Great North American Environmental and Emissions Quiz."

Sept. 22

8:10 a.m.-noon

  • "Tech Chat: On-Board Diagnostic Issues."
  • "On-Board Diagnostic Inspection and Maintenance Checks."

The conference is sponsored by the National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety, a research training center at Colorado State University. The center is in the Department of Manufacturing Technology and Construction Management and part of the College of Applied Human Sciences.

The National Center for Emissions Control and Safety has a long history of international involvement. Training has been performed in Canada and staff has met in Mexico City and Guadalajara to further research and enhance technical training. The National Center for Emissions Control and Safety was established in 1976 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and is the nation’s only university-based center devoted exclusively to the study of light-duty vehicle emissions control.

For more information, call (970) 491-7240