The green industry is hoping May 15 to get answers to questions about an EPA report that says catalytic converters would be safe on outdoor power equipment.
The EPA is holding a public review and discussion in Ann Arbor, Mich., about the agency’s March 16 report that concluded catalytic converters would not cause burns to equipment users or spark fires.
The EPA says it will review the data and explain the catalytic converters used in the study, as well as review the test procedures and equipment used in the lab and field work.
"We have many questions,” says Bill Harley, president for Virginia-based Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, the green industry trade group. "There is a lot of data that requires explanation."
The EPA says engines under 50 hp will account for 18 percent of smog-making emissions by 2020. Proposed rules in California that would further tighten emissions would likely lead to the use of catalytic converters on outdoor power equipment, much like those already installed on cars and trucks. That would include handheld equipment and mowers. Some green industry manufacturers already include the devices on their products.
Industry leaders say their concern is about safety. Catalytic converters process contaminants and oxidize them into carbon dioxide and water through a chemical reaction. This releases fewer pollutants into the atmosphere. But the process creates a great deal of heat and the green industry says increased heat around dry grass creates a fire hazard and could burn the user. The inclusion of the devices would also necessitate potentially costly redesigns for the equipment.
"You've got grass and debris swirling and circulation over vegetation. Obviously, with lawn and garden equipment, it's made to be used atop vegetation," Harley says. “With a catalytic converter, the potential for heat rising raises a lot of concerns."
To mitigate safety concerns, it will take some time to re-design the equipment, Harley says.
"You've got how many product offerings – a tremendous amount and each one's designed differently,” Harley says. "We're waiting for further data to come in from the EPA so we can fully understand and get answers to the questions on that safety study."
Briggs & Stratton is funding its own study through a Swedish government institute. Patricia Hanz, a lawyer for the Wisconsin-based company, told The New York Times that the company’s engines are 70 percent cleaner than they were 15 years ago, adding, “We acknowledge that there’s an air quality problem in California.
Jeff Nesom, handheld equipment product manager for Husqvarna, says many of the company’s products already comply with the more stringent proposed California and EPA rules. He estimates that adding catalytic converters would increase prices from $10 to $50 for the customer, depending on the product.
The May 15 meeting starts at 10 a.m. at the EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, Mich.