Politics Delaying Lawn Mower Rules?

Members of Congress say politics is delaying EPA rules to reduce pollution from lawn mowers. The GLRC’s Lester Graham reports:

Transcript

Members of Congress say politics is delaying EPA rules to reduce
pollution from lawn mowers. The GLRC’s Lester Graham reports:


California is usually ahead of the nation in pollution restrictions. That’s
the case here. The state wants lawn mower manufacturers to add
catalytic converters to mowers to reduce emissions. Lawn mowers
generally pollute at a rate six times that of automobiles.


The EPA says it’s actively working on California’s request… but it’s
been slowed. One of the issues is whether a catalytic converter might be
a fire hazard on a lawn mower.


But another delay comes from U.S. Senator Kit Bond of Missouri. There
are two major Briggs and Stratton manufacturing plants in Missouri. The
small engine manufacturer says its tests show because they get so hot, a
catalytic converter is too much of a hazard on machines that come into
contact with dried grass.


Senator Bond has made a couple of maneuvers to delay a ruling for the
California request and a national ruling to clean up the lawn mower
emissions.


For the GLRC, this is Lester Graham.

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Senator Stalls Emission Controls for Small Engines

  • A catalytic converter may be on its way to a lawn mower near you. (Photo by Karen Trilford)

Small gasoline engines—including those on lawnmowers and weed trimmers— are a major source of air pollution. But one Republican lawmaker says more testing is needed to ensure that proposed emission controls for the engines are safe. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Matt Sepic reports:

Transcript

Small gasoline engines, including those on lawnmowers and weed trimmers, are a
major source of air pollution. But one Republican lawmaker says more testing
is needed to ensure that proposed emission controls for the engines are
safe. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Matt Sepic reports:


Air quality advocates want the federal government to require catalytic
converters be put on all new small engines.


However, Missouri Republican Senator Kit Bond wants a safety study first. He
says extra heat from the devices could be a fire hazard. But William Becker, who heads a group of local and regional air quality officials, says that’s just a stalling tactic.


“Both California and the Environmental Protection Agency have done a lot of testing. And they show that engines with catalysts are no hotter than engines without catalysts. The issue of safety is really bogus.”


Becker says Senator Bond is just trying to protect Briggs & Stratton. The
engine maker has two plants in Missouri.


In 2003, Bond also pushed for a measure that blocks all states but
California from imposing small engine pollution regulations that are
stronger than federal rules.


For the GLRC, I’m Matt Sepic in St. Louis.

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