California Gets Permission to Wage War on Leaf Blowers
Published Date: 1/6/2025
Notice
Summary
The EPA just gave the green light to California’s updated rules for small off-road engines, like those in lawnmowers and leaf blowers, to cut pollution. This means manufacturers selling these engines in California must follow tougher pollution limits starting soon. If anyone wants to challenge this decision, they have until March 7, 2025, to speak up.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Zero-emission standards for most SORE
If you make or sell small off-road engines in California, most 2024 and later model year engines must meet exhaust standards of zero (0.00 grams per kilowatt-hour) for hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen and evaporative standards of zero (0.00 grams per test). These zero-emission standards apply to most SORE categories beginning in model year 2024.
Phase-in for pressure washers and generators
If you make pressure washer engines with displacement ≥225 cc or portable generator engines for California, those categories get more stringent (but not zero) emission standards starting in model year 2024 and will be required to meet the zero (0.00 g/kWh and 0.00 g/test) emission standards beginning in model year 2028. The second-phase alignment to zero takes effect in MY2028.
Updated certification and test procedures
California's 2016 SORE amendments update evaporative emissions certification procedures, revise the compliance testing procedure, and update the evaporative emissions certification test fuel to represent commercially available gasoline. These procedural and test-fuel updates are part of the authorized amendments.
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