Incentives to switch to electric-powered lawn equipment will cut ozone pollution

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A new bill, Senate Bill 16, introduced this week by Senator Hansen and Representatives McCormick and Sirota, would reduce the up-front price for consumers of purchasing cleaner electric-powered lawn and garden equipment by 30%. 

Reducing pollution from gas-powered lawn equipment is an important solution to tackle the Front Range’s ozone pollution problem. According to CoPIRG Foundation’s recent report, Small Machines, Big Pollution, a 2011 study showed a consumer-grade leaf blower emitted nearly 300 times the amount of non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) pollutants as a 6,200-pound 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor pickup truck. The report also cites a 2021 fact sheet showing that operating a commercial lawn mower for one hour can result in as much ozone-forming emissions as driving about 300 miles – approximately the distance from Trinidad to Cheyenne.

CoPIRG Clean Air Advocate Kirsten Schatz provided the following statement:

“We’re grateful to Senator Hansen and Representatives McCormick and Sirota for including the important provisions on electric lawn and garden equipment in their bill, the first of the 2023 legislative session to address harmful ozone pollution. We have so many solutions at hand for cutting ozone. Our health and quality of life depend on putting as many of these solutions into action, as quickly as possible, and this is a good start.”

The bill will head to the Senate’s Transportation & Energy committee for its first hearing.

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