New Regulations Reduce Pollution from Small Power Equipment

On March 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new regulations designed to reduce

pollution from small power equipment, such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, and weed trimmers. The regulations, to be phased in over seven years, are expected to reduce the emission of smog-causing pollutants by 350,000 tons (320,000 tonnes) annually by the time they are fully implemented, as well as improving fuel efficiency of that equipment by 30%. The 20 million small-engine-powered devices bought each year by Americans rank as the single largest “non-road” source of emissions, according to EPA.