HARRISBURG – A Chester County lawmaker wants to phase out gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment in PA. In her co-sponsorship memo, Rep. Melissa Shusterman says gas-powered lawn and garden tools are often manufactured without pollution controls and operating a gas-powered commercial lawn mower for one hour emits as much pollution as driving a passenger car about 300 miles. She adds that recognizing such a substantial contribution to pollution, more than 100 local governments in the U.S. have enacted partial bans on the use of gas-powered lawn equipment. Similar proposals have been made in PA’s neighboring states of New Jersey, New York, and Maryland. Under her proposal, a Zero Emissions Lawn Care Task Force would be created to phase out gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in the state and would consider issues of affordability and accessibility for disadvantaged communities in its recommendations by establishing an incentive program for the switch to battery-powered alternatives.
REP. MELISSA SHUSTERMAN