| Mar. 18, 2008 Starting
today, Southland residents can register for the annual “Mow Down Air
Pollution” program, benefiting their pocketbook and air quality by
exchanging a gasoline mower for a zero-emission electric model for just
$100.
“This program continues to be popular because it provides a convenient,
low-cost opportunity for residents to make a positive impact on air quality
in their communities,” said William A. Burke, Ed.D., AQMD’s Governing Board
Chairman. “Gasoline-powered lawn mowers are a significant source of air
pollution -- just one can pollute as much as 43 new cars annually.”
Now in its sixth year, the program will exchange 4,000 gasoline mowers
again this spring. At the conclusion of this year’s exchange, AQMD’s
program will have scrapped nearly 24,000 polluting gasoline mowers and
reduced about 116 tons of smog-forming volatile organic compound emissions.
This year, AQMD will conduct a total of seven events across the Southland
on seven Saturdays between April 5 and May 31. Residents must show proof of
residency within AQMD’s four-county jurisdiction, and can register for any
event regardless of where they reside in the region.
To participate, consumers must pre-register at
http://www.aqmd.gov/lawnmowerexchange/ or by calling (888) 425-6247.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. on March 18 and is on a first-come,
first-served basis. Telephone registration also is available in English and
Spanish.
At the events, residents can turn in a working, gasoline-powered mower
and receive a new Neuton™ cordless electric mower for just $100, a $399
value. The mower weighs just 48 pounds, produces half the noise of a gas
mower and can operate for 45 to 60 minutes on a 12-hour charge. Its power
is about equal to a 3.5 horsepower gas mower and it has a 14-inch blade
width.
Residents must be at least 18 years old to register, may exchange one
mower per household and can pay with cash, check or major credit card.
AQMD’s exchange events offer “drive-through” convenience for consumers.
Workers will remove gas mowers from vehicles and drain them of hazardous
fluids prior to their destruction at a metal recycling facility. After
participants pay, attendants place new, boxed mowers in customers’ vehicles.
All events will take place on Saturdays from approximately 8 a.m. to
noon. The schedule for all upcoming events is as follows:
April 5
Palm Springs
City Hall
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way |
April 19
Long Beach
Veteran's Memorial Stadium
5000 Lew Davis St. |
April 26
Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
2000 Gene Autry Way |
May 3
Pasadena
Rose Bowl Stadium
1001 Rose Bowl Dr. |
May 10
Rancho Cucamonga
Epicenter Stadium
8408 Rochester Ave. |
May 17
Inglewood
Hollywood Park race Track
1050 S. Prairie Ave. |
May 31
Riverside
California Baptist University
8432 Magnolia Ave. |
Sign up to receive email notification of future
events here.
This year’s program is sponsored again by AQMD in cooperation with
Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water and
Power. The program is funded through AQMD’s Air Quality Investment Program,
which is financed by Southland companies that pay a fee in lieu of offering
rideshare incentives as required by AQMD’s Rule 2202. The lawn mower
exchange program will reduce more emissions than would be achieved by an
employer rideshare program.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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