CARB 2021 Rulemaking for Proposed Amendments to the Small Off-Road Engine Regulations: Transition to Zero Emissions

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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed amendments to the Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) regulations for the Board to consider at a public hearing on December 9, 2021. SORE are nonroad, nonstationary, spark-ignition engines with rated power at or below 19 kilowatts (25.5 horsepower). SORE are primarily used in lawn and garden equipment, including lawn mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers and small chainsaws, and in portable generators. The proposed amendments would achieve additional emission reductions and health benefits by accelerating the transition from SORE to zero-emission equipment (ZEE) as soon as possible. The proposed amendments would not affect stationary generators or SORE equipment already in use.

 

Many local air districts have provided some type of incentive to purchase zero-emission lawn and garden equipment, generally for residential users. South Coast Air Quality Management District and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District have incentive programs for commercial equipment. The FY2021/22 state budget includes $30 million in incentive funding for small landscaping businesses and sole proprietors, and CARB staff are proposing to include this funding in the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Program (CORE - www.californiacore.org) to help small landscaping businesses make the transition to ZEE.

 

For more information on the proposed amendments and the types of SORE equipment regulated by CARB, please see the CARB webpages linked below.

 

This hearing is an opportunity for all voices to be heard—those of community members, members of the general public, and regulated stakeholders. It will be a remote only meeting conducted via Zoom, a web-based video conferencing service. Members of the public who wish to comment verbally will be able to register for the webinar at the link below once the agenda is available.

 

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ma120921.

 

Members of the public who wish to submit a written comment on the proposal can do so at the link below.

 

https://www.arb.ca.gov/lispub/comm/bcsubform.php?listname=sore2021&comm_period=A.