Clean Air Force

Georgia's Clean Air Force (GCAF) was created in 1996 as a result of the Clean Air Act and the support of the Georgia legislature. In conjunction with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), GCAF serves as the state's Enhanced Vehicle Emission Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the standards for ambient air quality throughout the United States. Areas that exceed these standards are considered non-attainment areas due to high levels of pollutants. Metro Atlanta consists of 13 counties categorized as non-attainment areas requiring regulatory action. Vehicle emissions are a major contributor to the increase in air pollution as metro Atlanta continues to grow. The health, environmental, and economic impacts of air pollution are significant. Furthermore, pollution poses mounting dangers to public health and welfare. GCAF is designed to identify and ultimately repair vehicles that pollute the air, while helping our area work toward attaining federal clean air standards. For the 2011 registration period, gasoline-powered cars and light-duty trucks, model year vehicles 1987-2008, in the following counties receive an annual emissions test: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale. GCAF tests approximately 2.5 million vehicles a year with more than 900 testing stations and 1,000 testing lanes. Since 1996, GCAF has prevented tons of ozone-forming pollutants and particle pollution from the air we breathe. Nearly 2 million heavy polluting vehicles have been identified and repaired since the start of the program. While these are great successes, there is still much to be done. Many challenges remain in protecting public health and the environment. Georgia's Clean Air Force remains committed to helping the area work toward better air quality. Thank you for doing your part. If you are a member of the media, please visit our Press section by clicking here. Click here to ...