HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is urging the U.S. Senate to oppose a Clean Air Act amendment intended to curb states’ authority to clean up small, diesel- and gasoline-powered off-road equipment.
Specifically, the state’s DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty is asking the Senate to oppose the amendment that would keep the state from changing engines used to operate lawn mowers, generators, forklifts and backhoes, all of which contribute significantly to air pollution and smog problems.
“We are concerned that actions in the U.S. Senate could limit the ability of states to ensure public health and protect the environment from harmful air pollution,” McGinty said. “It is a basic tenet of the federal Clean Air Act that states and localities are best suited to determine what programs and measures they need to achieve clean air. We oppose any such measure that would take away our abilities to improve air quality and protect our residents.”
Under current law, states may not regulate pollution from new construction or agricultural engines under 175 horsepower, or new locomotive engines. The amendment would expand that prohibition to include a much broader range of non-road engines, including, among others, those used in forklifts, generators, backhoes and lawnmowers, as well as ground support equipment, which is a pollution issue of emerging concern in many areas.
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