Tougher Pollution Regulations For Lawn Mowers
California is now the only state that can regulate pollution from lawn mowers and other small engines without having to abide by federal rules.
The deal reached by congressional negotiators in Washington today means California can set tougher pollution standards than the federal government.
State lawmakers have been battling on this issue with Missouri Senator Kit Bond, who proposed that only the Environmental Protection Agency can regulate small engines. The Republican senator argued California´s strict regulations, if spread to other states, could hurt small engine makers in Missouri. Regulators in California, which suffers severe air quality problems, argued the small engines produce massive amounts of smog.