Newsom yesterday signed a new bill. Small engine elimination in CA

San Francisco CA

Description

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill on Saturday that moves to ban gas-powered lawn equipment in the state — including lawn mowers and leaf blowers — in an effort to limit air pollution. The bill directs state regulators to stop selling gas-powered equipment that has small off-road engines by Jan. 1, 2024, or once the California Air Resources Board says such a law is “feasible,” whichever date comes later. The law also calls for new portable gas-powered generators to be zero-emission by 2028, according to the Los Angeles Times. That deadline, however, could be pushed back by the state board.Gas-powered equipment with small off-road engines produce a similar amount of smog-causing pollution as light-duty passenger cars create in California, according to the Times, which is why lawmakers are working to curb emissions that come from those tools. According to The Associated Press, there are more than 16.7 million small engines in California, which tops the number of passenger cars on roads by roughly 3 million. Using a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour reportedly causes the same amount of pollution to be emitted into the air as does a 2017 Toyota Camry driving from Los Angeles to Denver, which spans roughly 1,100 miles, the AP reported, citing state officials.