State Sen. Elder Vogel wants to eliminate the “ineffective and costly” vehicle emissions program in Beaver County, something that could save drivers about $35 a year.

State Sen. Elder Vogel wants to eliminate the “ineffective and costly” vehicle emissions program in Beaver County, something that could save drivers about $35 a year.

Vogel, R,-47, New Sewickley Township, who has previously introduced legislation to eliminate the program, has signed onto an amendment that will initiate a study to examine the potential environmental impact of eliminating the emissions program.

“It is my hope that this study will finally deliver the data proving, without a doubt, that the elimination of emissions testing in Beaver County will not negatively impact the environment, as some opponents of the measure currently contend,” Vogel said in a news release Tuesday.

Tony Tammaro, a spokesman for Vogel, said Wednesday that the state senator wants to eliminate the program because it costs drivers a yearly fee of $35 to $40, “with no accompanying benefit.”

The reason there is no benefit, he said, is that newer vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art technology that renders the emissions testing moot.

“What made sense 15 to 20 years ago to ensure polluting vehicles were removed from our roadways doesn’t make sense today; advancements in vehicle emissions technology have improved air quality,” he said.

If Vogel’s amendment passes in the state Senate, it would give the Joint State Government Commission one year to study the program and report their findings to the Senate.

Tammaro said Vogel is “very optimistic” the issue will gain traction this year.

“It is the Senator’s hope that this study will provide the hard data needed to prove how unnecessary this emissions program is,” he said.

Tammaro added that Beaver County is the only county in the 47th Senate District – which also includes Lawrence and Butler counties – that has emissions testing.

There currently is no timeline for when the Senate might take up Vogel’s amendment.