Project Aims to Study Cold Weather Vehicle Emissions

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

The contribution vehicle emissions make to Fairbanks fine particulate pollution is the subject of a study. The State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Fairbanks Borough are working together on the project.  Borough Air Quality specialist Jim Connor says the study is aimed at assessing cold weather fine particulate emissions from cars and light trucks.

The state and borough are requesting vehicles from borough residents for use in the study.  They’ll be paid $50 a day for loaning their car or truck for testing. Connor says tail pipe emissions will be captured as vehicles are run on a treadmill.

Connor says the facility was developed for carbon monoxide emissions testing when the pollutant was a local problem.  He says the same set up works for assessing fine particulate emissions, and that the borough conducted tests on a few vehicles last winter.  The project is being paid for with federal transportation funds.

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