Legislative update Email
Written by Colorado Green Now   
Monday, September 25, 2023 12:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Make your voice heard on proposed gas-powered equipment restrictions

The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) is moving forward on its recommended ban of handheld 10-horsepower lawn and garden equipment starting in 2025. ALCC, GreenCO and NALP are engaged in the conversations with RAQC and other stakeholders. The proposal would prohibit public entities within the Denver Metro/North Front Range ozone nonattainment area (and the lawn and garden services they contract) from using small gasoline-powered push and hand-held equipment between June 1 and August 31. Landscapers would have to switch to Make your voice heard on proposed gas-powered equipment restrictions electric lawn mowers, leaf blowers and chain saws, but homeowners would still be allowed to use them.

The restriction would not apply to large gas-powered riding equipment and tractors, or equipment used during a declared emergency or storm cleanup.

ALCC is working with GreenCO and NALP on strategies and action to help protect the Colorado landscape industry’s interests in this discussion. In 2022, ALCC, GreenCO and NALP successfully lobbied against legislation that would have banned the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment in areas that aren’t meeting federal ozone standards. Instead, the Colorado Legislature passed an amended bill that requires state environmental regulators to develop a financial incentive program for electric power equipment.

The RAQC recommendation must go through many more steps before the ban would take effect. ALCC will send a survey asking about potential impacts on your business in the coming weeks. The public can comment on the draft regulations at https://raqc. org/elg-comments. For more information, visit raqc.org.