Stricter Standards for Non-road Engines

Most people do not associate air pollution with mowing the lawn or recreational boating. Yet they are a significant source of pollution. They emit high levels of carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. They also emit hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, pollutants that contribute to the formation of ozone. Ozone occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere and shields the earth from harmful radiation, but ozone at ground level is a toxic pollutant. Ground-level ozone is a key element of smog and impairs lung functions. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set new strict regulations for gas-powered lawn equipment and marine engines. This is a public health issue and an effort by EPA to reduce the pollutants emitted from a wide range of non-road engines. These standards will take effect in 2010 and 2011.

EPA concluded that when these regulations take affect they would yield annual emission reductions of 600,000 tons of hydrocarbons, 130,000 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 5,500 tons of direct particulate matter, and 1.5 million tons of carbon monoxide (CO). They also expect that the new standards will save approximately 190 million gallons of gasoline per year. To meet these new exhaust emission standards, manufacturers will likely use catalytic converters in small watercraft and lawn and garden equipment. According to EPA analysis, the small engine regulation will increase the cost of equipment by an average of $5-7 per unit, but durability and fuel efficiency will improve for most small engines. These improvements in engine technology and reduction of fuel may offset the overall increase in cost.

Non-road gasoline-powered engines, such as those used in lawn and garden equipment, will see an additional 35 percent reduction in smog-forming hydrocarbon and NOx emissions. The updated engines will also achieve a 45 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions. Recreational boats powered by gasoline engines will have a 70 percent reduction in hydrocarbons and NOx emissions, a 20 percent reduction in CO and a 70 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions. This is a good step by EPA to regulate many greenhouse gases and limit overall exposure to many pollutants coming from non-road engines. Each year, Americans spend more than 3 billion hours using lawn and garden equipment and more than 500 million hours in recreational boating. The emission reduction has a total estimated public health benefit ranging from $1.6 and $4.4 billion by 2030. These benefits outweigh the costs and reductions will prevent an estimated 300 premature deaths, 1,700 hospitalizations, and 23,000 lost workdays annually.