By Dan Klepal
Enquirer staff writer

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is cracking down on more than 20 governmental agencies across the state that failed to have their fleet vehicles go through the emissions testing program known as E-check last year.

The agency sent out notices of violation to eight organizations in Greater Cincinnati - including the U.S. Postal Service's Cincinnati District, which has about 1,300 vehicles that must comply with E-check.

The other missed deadlines were by agencies with much smaller fleets, the largest of which was the Hamilton Township trustees in Warren County with 22 vehicles.

Each agency must pay a $250 fine for missing the deadline.

"This is the first time we've taken enforcement action against governmental agencies," agency spokeswoman Heidi Griesmer said. "In the past, we've just sent reminders or warning letters. A lot of people think governments are exempt, and they are not."

There are 870 governmental agencies in the 14 Ohio counties that require E-check. The counties requiring E-check are not in compliance with federal clean air rules.

Postal Service spokeswoman Bonni Manies said her agency is now in compliance.

Manies said the Postal Service has a unique problem created by its large fleet. It has to ferry the vehicles to E-check testing stations one at a time.

"OEPA treats a fleet of 1,300 the same as a fleet of 25," Manies said. "It's a logistical nightmare for us.

"We tried to work with EPA from the beginning to see if we could have the tests done on site, and that didn't work out."

Manies said all but about 50 vehicles had completed the tests by the December 2003 deadline. All 50 have since been checked.

Other Greater Cincinnati agencies that missed the deadline include:

• Hamilton Board of Education (19 vehicles).

• The city of Montgomery in Hamilton County (10).

• Lincoln Heights in Hamilton County (six).

• Wayne Township trustees in Warren County (two).

None of the Hamilton Board of Education's vehicles that missed the deadline were school buses.

Spokeswoman Joni Copas said all the vehicles were checked on time. "We got a new maintenance director and the paperwork wasn't sent through in a timely manner," Copas said.

E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com