July 30, 2008
The On Board Diagnostics (OBD) administrative rules have been revised and adopted as of June 20, 2008.  A copy of the revised rules will be mailed to all inspection stations along with your station renewal application.

The NHOST unit will have the rules updated during an upcoming software update.  You will be notified when that has occurred. In the interim the rules can be accessed from a computer that has an internet connection, other than the NHOST unit.  Please go to www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rules/saf-c3200.html to review and print the updated rules.  All of the rules in the 3200 series of numbers are the Official Inspection Station Administrative Rules.  The newly adopted OBD rules begin at section Saf-C 3222.  Please read the new inspection rules thoroughly and familiarize yourself with them as there are many updates that all certified inspectors are expected to know and adhere to.

If you have any questions regarding the rules or accessing them from another computer, please call the OBD program at 271-8800. 

June 30, 2008
New Hampshire Air Quality Progress Report

Although it is hard to imagine, air quality monitoring in the State of New Hampshire began in 1962. This is actually 8 years before the federal EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) was established under President Nixon and 25 years before the NH DES (Department of Environmental Services) was formed. New Hampshire has a long history of concern for maintaining healthy air quality, both for its citizens as well as its “natural inhabitants”, which is reflected in the continued efforts of the various agencies that operate in the State to ensure a clean and healthy environment.

Much has been done to reduce the adverse environmental impact of modern life in our State.  More recently, Governor Lynch signed a global warming initiative called the RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative). This initiative has direct bearing on greenhouse gas emissions that are generated by power plants and other sources in the Northeast region which impact New Hampshire’s air quality. "With this legislation we are taking a major step forward in protecting our economy and our natural resources by reducing pollution and increasing energy efficiency," said Lynch. "Pollution and climate change threaten our state's environment, our health and our economy."

While air quality issues cover a much broader spectrum than just automotive emissions, we know that motor vehicle emissions in New Hampshire adversely impact our environment and should be a concern for everyone. To reduce these emissions, the current automotive emissions inspection program, New Hampshire OBD & Safety Testing (NHOST) was begun in 2004. This program covers all light duty vehicles manufactured since 1996, with a check of the onboard diagnostic (OBD) system of these vehicles used to determine whether or not they have any emissions related defects that must be repaired. By performing OBD checks on these vehicles each year and repairing those with emissions defects, New Hampshire’s vehicle repair shops have joined the battle as important partners in keeping our air clean. Not only does this help the environment, but a vehicle whose computer controlled systems are functioning properly will realize optimum gas mileage as well. Given the prices at the pumps these days, this is a significant benefit that consumers can truly appreciate!

While DES reports that levels of ground level ozone (smog) are trending downward in New Hampshire, there are still areas of the State that are classified as “nonattainment”, meaning that the air quality levels in those counties have not yet met EPA required levels. Although we are making progress in improving air quality throughout New Hampshire, we still have work to do. Ensuring clean healthy air to breathe, both now and for future generations, requires diligence and cooperative efforts by government and private citizens across the State. Together we can make New Hampshire a healthier, safer environment, and a great place to live and to visit!

October 1, 2007
OBD Inspections Transition to Pass/Fail for all 1996 and newer automobiles and light-duty trucks

The final transition of the NHOST Program is complete. All automobiles and light-duty trucks model-year 1996 or later will now be issued a Pass or Fail for the OBD inspection process. This change helps ensure that the majority of the vehicles on the roads in New Hampshire will be running cleanly and efficiently, keeping our environment and air quality healthier for us all.

The windshield stickering process that was implemented on December 1, 2006 now applies to all 1996 and newer vehicles that require an OBD inspection. Depending on the result of the safety and OBD inspections, a vehicle will receive the whole windshield sticker, no windshield sticker or a partial windshield sticker. Details on this process can be found in the Program Basics section

The OBD program has been Advisory since the program was implemented statewide in May of 2005. On December 1 the program reaches its next goal, transitioning out of Advisory for vehicles model year 2002 and newer. These vehicles will now receive a Pass or Rejection for their OBD inspection. The safety portion of the inspection remains unchanged for all vehicles.

With the transition, comes a change in the windshield stickering process. Depending on the result of the safety and OBD inspections, a vehicle will recieve the whole windshield sticker, no windshield sticker or a partial windshield sticker. Details on this process can be found in the Program Basics section

High turn-out and insightful questions made the DMV and NHOST Services sponsored Q&A session a success. Over 800 mechanics representing about a third of the stations in New Hampshire attended the afternoon session aimed at answering the questions and concerns about the upcoming transition to Pass/Fail on December 1st For newer vehicles.

Representing the NH DMV and NHOST Services were:

* Michelle Marinelli, NHOST Services Program Manager - Emcee
* Jennifer Jakubauskas, DMV OBD Specialist - Panel
* Officer Scott Bowen, Highway Patrol and Enforcement - Panel
* Joshua McInturff, NHOST Services Assistant Program Manager - Panel
* Virginia Beecher, DMV Director

The questions ranged from those dealing with the NHOST Equipment to readiness monitors to the new stickering process. They addressed topics from the full range of emissions test in New Hampshire and the panel worked together to answer the questions and allay concerns. It was a great success.

Yesterday marked two significant accomplishments for the New Hampshire OBD & Safety Testing Program! NHOST reached its ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the first test using an NHOST unit and 1 MILLION INSPECTIONS have been performed since the program started!

Year one of the new vehicle inspection program has been very exciting! Program implementation is complete and the program is running very smoothly!

Congratulations to inspection stations and mechanics for all of your efforts that have helped make this program a great success! We also appreciate your patience throughout the program implementation. Below are some of our accomplishments:

Year One Program Statistics:

* Over 1600 stations participating
* Over 4700 New Hampshire mechanics have completed training and passed the computer-based certification.
* 1 million inspections on the database
* More than 700,000 OBD inspections performed

We will continue to communicate program updates with you; look for NHOST “Blasts” of information sent to your NHOST unit. And, we are available to provide program assistance as needed. We also encourage you to communicate with us, either through our toll-free Helpline, 1-800-383-4124 or by email directly from your NHOST unit.

Be sure to check out the NHOST website for general program information, as well as helpful testing tips: www.nhostservices.com.

Thank you! As the primary contact between the NHOST program and New Hampshire motorists, your efforts in testing vehicles have been critical to the overall success of the program over the past year. We look forward to many years of success working together to protect air quality and human health in New Hampshire!

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