A federal judge is expected to decide soon on whether New Hampshire can proceed with its plan to end mandatory motor vehicle inspections on Jan. 31, or if doing so would put the state out of compliance with the federal Clean Air Act.
Lawyers for Gordon-Darby, the Kentucky-based firm that provides emissions testing equipment to more than 1,000 automobile repair shops statewide, told Judge Landya McCafferty on Thursday that the state’s termination of vehicle testing requires approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, something the state has not yet obtained.
Until New Hampshire receives that permission, said Allison Wood, Gordon-Darby’s attorney, emissions testing “remains enforceable under federal law.” A spokesperson for the EPA has said it could take as long as 18 months for the federal government to rule on the state’s request to end mandatory vehicle inspections.
Lawyers for the state contend that the company can’t yet seek to block the repeal of inspections because, for at least through the end of this month, those inspections are still mandatory.
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They also told the judge that a decision from the EPA may not take a full 18 months: “This is not an ordinary case,” said Mark Lucas, an assistant attorney general for New Hampshire.
After hearing nearly two hours of arguments on a request to block the repeal of testing, McCafferty said she was concerned about “whiplash” for motorists who have been told inspections were set to expire. She also questioned the state on why it took six months from the passage of the repeal for it to submit its request to the EPA. McCafferty is expected to decide on Gordon-Darby’s request for an injunction blocking the repeal of testing by the end of the month.
Republican lawmakers in Concord included a provision ending mandatory inspections as part of the state budget passed last summer. Supporters said that there was little evidence that unsafe vehicles were the leading cause of crashes in the state, and that motorists should have the choice of whether or not to have their vehicles serviced.
A mechanic works on a vehicle at Weed Family Automotive, a service shop in Concord.
Local car dealers and automobile repair shops, as well as personal injury lawyers, have warned about an inevitable increase in unsafe vehicles on New Hampshire roads without mandatory inspections. Some mechanics have said they plan to offer voluntary inspections for drivers who want their vehicle looked over.
Following the passage of the state budget, which contained the repeal of inspections, the New Hampshire Department of Safety and Department of Environmental Services began the process of submitting a request to the federal government to waive the emissions standards. But that formal request was not submitted until December. Before the EPA can approve or deny the state’s application, it will need to collect public comment on the matter.
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Starting Feb. 1, New Hampshire will be in violation of the Clean Air Act if it no longer requires inspections, lawyers for Gordon-Darby said in court.
Gordon-Darby has a longstanding contract with New Hampshire to be the sole provider of emissions testing equipment, but there is no direct financial arrangement. Instead, Gordon-Darby receives a payment directly from repair shops each time they perform an inspection. In 2026, the firm expected to generate more than $4 million in revenue, money now in jeopardy.
Lawyers for the state told McCafferty that Gordon-Darby has the right to sue if it feels there has been a contractual violation, but that it doesn’t have standing to sue the government under provisions of the Clean Air Act.
Thursday’s hearing did not focus on the environmental impact of ending emissions testing. Data provided by the state shows that about 5% of vehicles have failed inspection due to excessive tailpipe emissions, on average, over the past 5 years, and that the number continues to decline, likely because more electric vehicles are on the roads.
With the Jan. 31 deadline looming, many New Hampshire drivers have already begun skipping inspections. Gordon-Darby said that in November, there were 33% fewer inspections performed than in the same month last year, despite the mandate still being in effect.
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Boston MedFlight often touches down at the scene of some of the worst tragedies in New England – where minutes can mean life or death for a victim. The critical care transport operation is now expanding with a new base in New Hampshire.
The organization is hosting an open house at the new Manchester location on Thursday.
Boston MedFlight flies a critical care transport paramedic and nurse on every flight. Jaik Hanley-McCarthy says their helicopters and ground vehicles are equipped to handle just about any emergency medical procedure.
“Anything that can be done in the ICU,” explained Hanley-McCarthy. “We have a mobile lab so we can draw blood and run labs in real time.”
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Boston MedFlight now has five bases across the region.
“Having a base in Manchester just expands this Boston-level care even further north to the more remote areas of the state,” said Hanley-McCarthy.
Boston MedFlight operates as a network of bases and some of the locations are staffed 24 hours.
Chief Executive Officer Maura Hughes says the nonprofit operation survives on public and private donations.
“We provide about $7 million in free care every year to patients,” said Hughes. “Not every hospital can be everything to every patient. We’re really the glue that keeps the health care system together.”
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Heather Young says her daughter, Teighan, is still alive because she was flown for a critical assessment and procedure after falling off a truck and hitting her head.
“She should not be driving and walking and talking and all the things she’s doing as quickly as she is,” said Young.
Teighan just turned 18 and plans to go to college to study the medical field.
“I want to be a nurse and help other people,” she said.
It’s stories like this that keep the men and women who work Boston MedFlight focused on their mission.
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“I think we just go call by call and try to do the best we can,” said Hanley-McCarthy. “I think when we stop and truly think about it, I think that weight is pretty heavy.”
Boston MedFlight also has a yearly reunion where patients and the team get together here in Bedford to meet and check in on their progress. It really shows you how connected they are to the people they help.
A Massachusetts hiker who set out in warm spring weather was found dead deep in New Hampshire’s White Mountains after a snowstorm dumped several inches of snow in the area, authorities said.
Kent Wood, 61, of West Roxbury, was discovered Tuesday evening on a remote section of the Kinsman Pond Trail in Franconia Notch, about 5.5 miles from his vehicle, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Wood had driven to Franconia Notch on April 17 for a weekend camping and hiking trip, and set out on a hike the next morning in warm, clear weather, officials said. Family and friends last heard from him Saturday afternoon.
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When he failed to return or make contact for two days, officials said relatives reported him missing Tuesday morning, prompting a large-scale search.
HIKER IDENTIFIED, POPULAR TRAIL CLOSED AFTER DEADLY FALL A UTAH’S ZION NATIONAL PARK
An aerial view of Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire, where a hiker was found dead on Tuesday.(Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group, File)
Rescuers quickly learned Wood had packed for mild conditions, not the three to five inches of snow that fell in the area between Sunday and Monday.
Fog hovers over a narrow road through Franconia Notch in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire on Dec. 27, 2021.(Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis)
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Search teams from Fish and Game, PEMI Valley Search and Rescue, and the Army National Guard launched a coordinated effort, focusing on the Lonesome Lake and Kinsman Pond areas.
FAMILY’S SPRING BREAK HIKE TURNS INTO LIFE-OR-DEATH RESCUE AFTER PARENT FALLS 70 FEET OFF UTAH CLIFF
Conservation officers located Wood’s body around 7:41 p.m. Tuesday. Crews carried him out overnight, reaching the trailhead shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Franconia Notch and the Appalachian Trail are seen in New Hampshire on Sept. 21.(Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)
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Since Friday, six hikers from Massachusetts have been rescued in the White Mountains, Fish and Game said.
Officials are reminding hikers that winter conditions still grip the mountains, with snow, freezing temperatures and rapidly changing weather.
Authorities ruled the death of a 62-year-old man who was found stabbed at his home in Laconia, N.H. last week a homicide, prosecutors said Tuesday.
An autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office found that John Anderson died from stab wounds to the neck, the office of Attorney General John M. Formella said in a statement.
Police went to Anderson’s apartment at 217 South Main St. the morning of April 14 for a welfare check when officers discovered his body, Formella’s office said in a previous statement.
No arrests were reported.
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State Police detectives asked the public for information about Anderson’s movements or activity at his home from April 12 to April 14.
Anderson’s death was the first of two homicides in Laconia on April 14.
Linda Dionne, 58, was found dead at 52 Old Prescott Hill Road around 1:40 p.m., Formella’s office said. An autopsy showed she died of strangulation.
Dionne’s son Christopher Garon, 32, was at the scene and shortly arrested and charged with second-degree murder, officials said.
Chloe Pisani can be reached at chloe.pisani@globe.com.
