California To Ban Gas Powered Lawn Equipment
By Rebekah Gonzalez
October 11, 2021
California has plans to ban the sale of new gas-powered lawnmowers and leaf blowers.
The ban is aimed at reducing emissions from a category of small engines that are on pace to produce more pollution each year than passenger vehicles, reports NBC7.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new law on Saturday, October 9. The order bans a broad category of products that also includes generators and pressure washers.
The California Air Resources Board was already working on a rule to do this which was set to conclude a lengthy process next year. But Newsom's law ordered the agency to apply the new rule by January 1, 2024, or as soon as regulators determine is "feasible."
The law was authored by Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman and is part of a strategy to reduce pollution in California.
“Gov. Newsom signing (this law) really sets a strong course to not only his commitment to transitioning to zero emissions but also to cleaner air and healthier lungs,” Will Barrett, director of clean air advocacy for the California American Lung Association told NBC7.
Last year California regulators approved a unique rule that forced automakers to sell more electric work trucks and delivery vans. Newsom also ordered regulators to ban the sale of all new gas-powered cars and trucks in California by 2035.