A new rule adopted by the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission bans state agencies from using gas-powered lawn equipment with engines of 25 horsepower or less from June to August, starting next year, The Hill reported on Tuesday.
The regulation, which does not affect homeowners on their own property, also prohibits the use of gas-powered push lawnmowers and other lawn equipment under 10 horsepower on other public property within the Denver Metro and the nine-county North Front Range ozone nonattainment area, in an attempt to improve air quality.
The area includes the Denver metro, in addition to areas north through Larimer and Weld counties.
The regulations were passed after a report released by the nonprofit CoPIRG Foundation, which revealed that gas-powered lawnmowers and other lawn equipment generated an estimated 671 tons of fine particulate pollution in 2020.
This was determined to be equivalent to the pollution created by more than 7 million cars, according to the report.
In addition, the report stated that lawn equipment contributes approximately 9,811 tons of ozone-forming volatile organic compounds, along with 1,969 tons of nitrogen oxides every year.
Clean air advocates hope the new rules will be the "first step" toward phasing out the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in the state, Colorado Newsline reported.
"Given the significant pollution generated by gas-powered lawn equipment and the severe air pollution problem in our region, I'm glad the state is taking action to accelerate the switch to cleaner, quieter electric lawn equipment," said Kirsten Schatz, a clean air advocate with the Colorado Public Interest Research Group. "It doesn't make sense to allow tons of pollution that damages our health just from cutting grass and blowing leaves around when cleaner, quieter electric options are readily available."
Over the summer, the Regional Air Quality Council voted to bar the sale of small gas-powered lawn tools in select Colorado counties to improve air quality, The Hill reported. The state's Air Quality Control Commission rejected the proposal.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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