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| 2001 Gas Cap Replacement Program |
| Program Reports (2000 & 2001) |
Envirotest
Media Kit |
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2001 Gas Cap Program Replaced Over 12,000 Faulty Gas Caps
A cooperative effort tested and replaced a whole new group of faulty gas caps for free at all Envirotest and independent emissions testing stations during the 2001 summer ozone season, June 1 - September 15.
For a second consecutive summer, motorists in the metro Denver area received a free NAPA gas cap or a $5 voucher toward the purchase of a new one, if their gas cap was missing or tested faulty during an emissions test. The "Put a Cap on Ozone" program, which ran from June 1 - September 15, was part of a continuing effort to help curb ground-level ozone pollution along Colorado’s Front Range.
The "Put a Cap on Ozone" program was launched in 2000 by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), as part of the RAQC’s voluntary ozone reduction effort. In 2000, the program replaced 12,700 gas caps, amounting to a reduction of more than 750 pounds of volatile organic compounds - a type of pollution that can lead to ground-level ozone formation.
All Envirotest-operated Air Care Colorado emissions testing stations and Denver area independent emissions testing stations, which provide tests for 1981 and older vehicles, participated in the gas cap replacement program. Motorists who failed the gas cap portion of the emissions test received a new cap for free. However, if the stations did not have the gas cap necessary to fit a particular vehicle, the motorist received a $5 voucher good toward the purchase of a new gas cap at participating area NAPA auto parts stores. Participating testing stations will continue to distribute replacement caps past September 15 while supplies last. Coupons expired September 30, 2001.
State air quality regulations require emissions testing stations to fail a vehicle if the gas cap is not operating properly, doesn’t fit properly or is simply missing. After a failing vehicle is outfitted with a new cap, it is required to repeat all phases of the emissions testing procedure.
The 2001 "Put a Cap on Ozone" program was expanded to include free gas cap testing at major employer sites. The RAQC tested gas caps at Roche Colorado, Hunter Douglas, Ball Corporation, CDPHE, and Clean Cities/NREL. The RAQC will conduct 5-7 more of these on-site gas cap exchanges during the spring and summer of 2002. Employers interested in holding a gas cap testing event may contact Sara O'Keefe at 303-629-5450, ext. 220 or Email.
Ken Lloyd, executive director for the RAQC, said properly-working gas caps are an important component in the fight against ground-level ozone pollution because evaporative emissions from all sources can account for up to six percent of noxious emissions on any given day in the Denver metropolitan area.
"Evaporative emissions from faulty and missing gas caps can amount to nearly three tons of air pollution per day on their own," Lloyd said. "Pollutants in evaporative emissions lead to ground-level ozone formation, a type of air pollution that plagues the region during the critical hot summer months. By replacing these caps, we can take an important step toward reducing emissions and combating our summertime pollution problem."
Ground-level ozone is created when pollutants like nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are released into the atmosphere. These pollutants react photochemically in the presence of sunlight to create ozone.
The Denver metropolitan area is in danger of violating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ozone pollution standards, which are based on a three-year average. A summer of high ground-level ozone readings could earn the area "nonattainment" status from the EPA and trigger costly pollution control requirements.
"We’re pleased to once again participate in and co-sponsor this worthy program," said Derrick Pickeral, general manager for Envirotest Systems in Colorado. "Not only will customers with failing caps get one for free, but also a new cap is going to save them money in the long run. A vehicle with a bad cap can lose about a gallon of gasoline every two weeks in the summertime through evaporation. So this program not only helps the air but also helps the motorist’s wallet."
Program sponsors encourage all motorists to ensure that they have good, tight-fitting gas caps on all their vehicles, even if they are not due for an emissions test soon. Many caps will "click" when they are put back on after refueling - a sign to the motorist that the cap fits snugly. Of course, motorists whose vehicles are missing the caps entirely should replace them immediately. Evaporating gasoline is not only bad for the air, it can also be dangerous.
Funds for the $100,000 gas cap program were provided by Envirotest Systems Corp. and by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program grant, locally administered by the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Colorado Department of Transportation. NAPA Auto Parts provided approximately 12,000 gas caps at a reduced cost and honored the vouchers at all area NAPA stores.