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'Smokin' & Chokin' Program
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Mobile Visible Emission Program
Help stop smoking cars!
In accordance with North Carolina General Statute 20-128.1 - "Control of Visible Emissions," you are able to help clean the air, help people with respiratory (breathing) problems breathe a little easier, and help your fellow driver avoid costly repairs. To help, please report vehicles with smoking tailpipes to Mecklenburg County Air Quality (MCAQ).
****As a result of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County's new 311 service, a 24/7 "one-stop shop" for access to local government services, all smoking vehicle calls to the 704-336-6859 line will be routed to a 311 customer service specialist who will take your report. This represents a change from the previous procedure of leaving a voice mail for MCAQ. A smoking vehicle report can also be made by simply dialing "311" to be connected to a customer service specialist.
As with any new process, we anticipate that there will be areas where improvements will be needed. If you experience any problems when reporting smoking vehicles by phone, please contact MCAQ at 704-336-5430 so that the problem can be addressed. You may still report smoking vehicles via the online form, fax or email. ****
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You should report smoking vehicles to MCAQ by
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155 smoking vehicles were reported by citizens between July 2007 and July 2008
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- North Carolina License Plate Number must be an NC plate
- Make of Vehicle Ford, Honda, etc.
- Model of Vehicle if available
- Location Street where the smoking vehicle was observed
- Town within Mecklenburg County (*Vehicles observed outside Mecklenburg County may be reported to the State of North Carolina's Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Air Quality Division*)
- Date observation was made
- Time observation was made
- Name, Address, Phone Number and E-mail address of Observer
When MCAQ receives your report, we will use the license plate information to get the owner's information from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. We then will send a letter to the owner reporting the observation. No information about the observer will be provided to the vehicle's owner.
What Is Causing The Smoke?
The smoke you see coming from tailpipes consists of unburned fuel, ozone precursors, and soot. The unburned fuel is present because more fuel than necessary is being pumped into the engine, which can be corrected by a slight adjustment to the engine during a tune-up.
How Does Smoke Hurt Us?
The ozone precursors irritate the human respiratory system, and causes acid rain. The soot adds dust to the air, which also irritates the respiratory system.
Will My Report Help The Driver?
The smoke you see may not be visible to the driver. This smoke also may indicate a serious problem developing in the engine. Having this problem corrected at an early stage may prevent the vehicle owner from having to make costly repairs, or from something happening in the engine that puts the driver and others into a life threatening situation.
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