LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT PROGRAM WORK PLAN 2-27-18.PDF

Maricopa County Air Quality Department
Phone: 602.506.6010
Email: AQmail@mail.maricopa.gov
Maricopa.gov/AQ
CleanAirMakeMore.com
Voluntary Lawn and Garden Emissions Reduction Program
WORK PLAN
MARICOPA COUNTY AIR QUALITY GOALS AND PRIORITIES
Maricopa County continues to experience an expanding residential housing market and therefore, the
usage of lawn and garden equipment play a notable role in the emissions profile of the County.
Emissions from lawn and garden equipment are responsible for a considerable amount of all non-
road emissions. Currently, the County is in non-attainment for Ozone, for which the precursors are
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). According to the Maricopa County
2014 Ozone Periodic Emission Inventory, the lawn and garden equipment category accounts for 3.1%
of all non-road NOx emissions and 35.4% of all non-road VOC emissions. The County was previously
in non-attainment for Carbon Monoxide (CO) in which 39.7% can also be attributed to lawn and
garden equipment.
2014 Annual emissions from non-road lawn and garden equipment, as a percentage of:
VOC CO NOx
All non-road emissions 35.40% 39.70% 3.10%
LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGIES
According to the EPA, approximately 121 million pieces of lawn and garden equipment are estimated
to be in use in the United States of which, lawn mowers are the most numerous.1 The advent of new
4-stroke mowers has created improvements in terms of efficiency as well as reduced emissions,
however, older 2-stroke mowers are still in operation and most lack any type of emission control
technology. The replacement of gas powered lawn mowers with an electric equivalent will reduce the
aforementioned pollutants as well as eliminate some of the indirect air pollution that come along with
maintaining and operating a gas powered unit. The EPA estimated that approximately 70,000 tons of
gasoline was spilled in 2005 while refueling non-road equipment using portable fuel containers, which
resulted in additional VOC emissions.2
Electric lawn mowers and other electric lawn equipment have come a long way in the past decade.
Their rising popularity has motivated some of the more prominent manufactures in the industry to
develop cost effective options that are well within the grasp of the average consumer. Technological
advancements in lithium batteries have closed the performance gap between electric and gas powered
counterparts. Cordless options are also becoming more standardized, allowing for more user friendly
operations.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD) will be responsible for the overall
administration in accordance with A.R.S §49-474.02, management and success of the Voluntary Lawn
1 Banks, J. L., PhD, & McConnell, R. (n.d.). National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment (Environmental
Protection Agency). Retrieved December 18, 2017
2 Environmental Protection Agency. (2012, June 8). Estimating emissions associated with portable fuel containers
(PFCs). Retrieved December 18, 2017.
Lawn Mower Program Work Plan Page 1 of 4

and Garden Emissions Reduction Program (Lawn and Garden Equipment Replacement Program)
including data and document collection, financial management, outreach, necessary coordination for
the retirement of replaced equipment, and providing progress reporting as described in the table
below. In addition to allowing for the retirement of residential lawn mowers, A.R.S §49-474.02 also
allows for the retirement of commercial lawn mowers and residential and commercial lawn and garden
devices. Lawn and garden devices include leaf blowers, trimmers, edgers, and other similar equipment.
The MCAQD director acts as the agent of the County for all emission reduction programs. MCAQD
funds are managed by the finance division of the MCAQD, which receives and processes invoices and
payments. The Grants Programs Administrator will review and confirm allocation of expenses and
ensure deliverables align with the project scope and budget. All invoices will be reviewed and approved
by the Travel Reduction and Outreach Division Manager. Final authorization and the timely
scheduling of payment will be completed by the Finance Division.
Activity Start End
Maricopa County Lawn and Garden Replacement Equipment Program
Program development 01/02/2018 02/28/2018
Develop program policies and procedures
Establish agreements with the County solid waste and
equipment services departments for disposal of
hazardous waste and the recycling of retired lawn
equipment
Outreach 02/01/2018 09/30/2018
Plan kick-off event, plan and implement
communications, webpage, updates and press release
Kick-Off Event 04/01/2018 04/30/2018
Collect retired lawn and garden equipment, issue
vouchers.
Provide outreach on ozone season
Collecting and evaluating applications and 04/01/2018 10/01/2018
issuing vouchers
Program Outputs Posted on Website continuously continuously
Prepare annual report on program including the 12/1/2018
following items:
1. The number of lawn mowers and other lawn and Yearly report
garden devices retired by brand and year of
manufacture.
2. The cost-effectiveness of the program in terms of
dollars spent per ton of emissions reductions.
3. Any recommendations for improving the
effectiveness of the program.
4. The administrative costs of the program.
Lawn Mower Program Work Plan Page 2 of 4

TIMELINE AND MILESTONES
MCAQD’s POTENTIAL OUTCOMES/OUTPUTS
The Lawn and Garden Equipment Program focuses on decommissioning old lawn and garden
equipment as well as facilitating the ownership of new and cleaner operating equipment. The
promotion of the Lawn and Garden Equipment Program will stem from marketing through the Clean
Air Make More website and associated social media sites as well as any partner’s line of communication
with their consumers via utility bills.
In 1999, Maricopa County’s Lawn Mower Program replaced a total of 2,111 gasoline residential
lawnmowers which resulted in the reduction of 17.7 tons of VOC and 0.1 tons of NOx. Projected
emission reductions for the replacement of 2,500 gasoline residential lawn mowers in 2018 would
result in a reduction of 20.9 tons of VOC and 0.2 tons of NOx.
The table below outlines some of the outputs and outcomes to be achieved by MCAQD.
Potential Outputs and Outcomes
Activities Outputs Outcomes
Replace 2,500 gasoline lawn 2,500 electric lawn mowers in Annual emission reduction for
mowers operation NOx=0.2 tons, VOC=20.9 tons
Lifetime emission reduction for
NOx=1.4 tons, VOC=146.3
tons
Program Development Lawn and Garden Opportunity for Maricopa
Equipment Replacement County residents to reduce
Program pollution
Outreach Dissemination of project Include overview of the
information via social media, Maricopa County Lawn and
internal and external events, Garden Equipment
internal and external websites Replacement Program outreach
events; increase public
awareness of ozone
Project Administration Progress Report and Final Annual progress reporting to
Report include number of lawn mower
replacements completed to date
Lawn Mower Program Work Plan Page 3 of 4

MCAQD will implement the Lawn and Garden Replacement Program in accordance with the
outcomes outlined in the table above and in consultation with the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality, MCAQD will expand the program to include the retirement of commercial
lawn mowers and residential and commercial lawn and garden devices.
SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROGRAM
MCAQD intends to administer the Lawn and Garden Equipment Replacement Program for as long
as funding is available. The department will publicize and promote the program through social media,
annual department reports and Maricopa County Air Quality web sites.
Project Budget
FY 2017 Budget
Program Vouchers $375,000
Explanation of Budget Framework
Program Voucher
Pricing for a typical electric lawn mower is within the range of $90-$300. The variance in the pricing
is attributed to the power of the mower and if it has the option for cordless operation. A $150 voucher
towards an electric lawn mower would allow the Lawn and Garden Equipment Replacement Program
to facilitate the retirement of 2500 lawn mowers given a $375,000 rebate budget.
Personnel
Maricopa County will administer the Lawn and Garden Equipment Replacement Program with
existing staff.
Lawn Mower Program Work Plan Page 4 of 4