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Published on 01/08/1996 All articles from this issue

Fuming residents taking action against vehicle exhaust

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

Ruth H. Koehler doesn't like smoking cars, but she is "exhausted" no more.

Now, when the former Los Altos mayor and member of the advisory council of the nine-county Bay Area Air Quality Management District spots a car spouting clouds of black or gray crud, she reports it.

"I keep a pad of paper on the dashboard of the car so I can write down the license number, day, time and location where the car was seen smoking," Koehler said. "And I send it in."

She is one of the thousands of local citizens who are part of the smoking vehicle program that sponsors reporting offending cars to 1-800-EXHAUST.

In the three years since the project began, Bay Area residents, tired of gagging on excess tailpipe smoke from cars, trucks and buses, have called in more than 190,000 complaints, said Lucia Libretti, spokesperson for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

"It's a very successful program," said Marge Bruno, also a former Los Altos mayor, who is currently chairwoman of the BAAQMD Board.

Once the district staff receives a complaint, they get the vehicle owner's name and address from the department of motor vehicles and send a letter, saying, "If your car was smoking, please have it checked," Libretti said.

"If a car is in good repair, it shouldn't smoke. Often, only a small repair is needed, like changing the oil filter. We're getting good response from people saying they did get something fixed."

Koehler agrees. "Most people know their vehicle has been smoking and the letter nudges them to get it fixed," she said.

Bruno said she has reported smoking autos.

"You will, too, when you know the number (1-800-EXHAUST) and see some outrageous car," she said.