Overview
- U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty denied New Hampshire’s request to pause her injunction and reiterated the state must take all steps necessary to keep the inspection-and-maintenance program running.
- The judge wrote that the court does not view the program as indefinitely suspended, but state officials say prior guidance remains in effect that inspections are suspended and stations are not authorized to issue stickers.
- New Hampshire’s Executive Council rejected a short-term extension with longtime vendor Gordon-Darby and later ended the contract, leaving the state without an approved operator for the program.
- The dispute centers on the Clean Air Act, with the court finding the state cannot end inspections without EPA approval; the state’s December request for EPA sign-off could take up to 18 months to resolve.
- Gordon-Darby has signaled it is prepared to work with the state and its lawyers have asked the court to consider sanctions, while political leaders are split and the issue is surfacing in the governor’s race.