Emissions rules keep labs humming

As long as there are regulations, engineers and technicians will be busy running tests in laboratories.

DaimlerChrysler's recent $1.2 million fine for noncompliance with U.S. emissions regulations is a reminder not only that meeting them is much more than a walk in the park for automakers, but also that the EPA is not asleep at the switch.

The agency's emissions laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI, is humming with activity, as are labs operated by other governments, companies, and institutions the world over as countries continue to adopt ever-stricter pollution regulations.