Invitation to Participate

Click Here for Draft Chapter 9

The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) invites you to participate in a public meeting to consider updates to the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (Carl Moyer Program) Guidelines, Chapter 9: Lawn and Garden Equipment Replacement. We are eager to engage with the public to consider Carl Moyer program changes and updates to best support the recent Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) regulation amendments that will require SORE manufacturers to produce zero-emission equipment beginning in 2024. CARB staff has had numerous discussions with air districts regarding these issues. As a result of these collaborative efforts, and under authority delegated to the Executive Officer, CARB staff are proposing updates to the Carl Moyer Program for public consideration.

In summary, the proposed changes to Chapter 9: Lawn and Garden Equipment Replacement include:

• Expanding applicant eligibility to include non-residential (commercial), as well as residential applicants.
• Including riding mowers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, and weed trimmers in addition to walk behind lawn mowers.
• Increasing maximum funding amounts.
• Allowing co-funding with other sources such as the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE).

DATE:                Wednesday, November 30, 2022
TIME:                 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION:      Zoom Webinar/Teleconference

Please register before November 30, 2022, 5:00 p.m. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.

Click Here to Register for the Webinar

This meeting is webinar only and will be conducted in English with live Spanish translation: no in-person attendance will be available. The webinar will be recorded for later viewing.

The November 30 meeting shall serve as a public meeting pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 44287, subdivision (b) for CARB to consider public comments about these Carl Moyer Program Guidelines amendments prior to final adoption. Please see below where to direct all relevant public comments. Meeting material including draft proposed guideline changes will be available on the Carl Moyer website here: Carl Moyer Meetings and Events

Background

Since 1998, the Carl Moyer Program has filled a critical niche in California's strategy to achieve clean air. The Carl Moyer Program provides grant funding for the incremental cost of cleaner-than-required engines, equipment, and emission reduction technologies. Emission reductions funded through the Carl Moyer Program must be surplus, permanent, enforceable, and quantifiable in order to meet the underlying statutory provisions and be creditable to the State Implementation Plan. The Carl Moyer Program has been successfully implemented through cooperative partnerships with local air districts as they review eligible applicants that can receive grants to purchase cleaner replacement equipment or repowers. CARB is responsible for establishing, updating, and adopting guidelines for the Program and propose revisions as necessary to improve the program’s ability to achieve the maximum amount of emission reductions feasible. The Carl Moyer Program complements California's regulatory program by funding emission reductions that are surplus (i.e., early and/or in excess of what is required by regulation).

The Carl Moyer program began funding the replacement of SORE lawn and garden equipment in the 2011 Carl Moyer guidelines with zero-emission lawn mowers only and has remained unchanged. Most lawn and garden equipment include engines that are at or under 25 horsepower (19 kilowatts) and are subject to the SORE regulation. The proposed revisions to the Moyer Lawn and Garden program will provide additional opportunities for funding of zero-emission off-road equipment and support the 2021 SORE regulatory amendments intended to transition SORE powered equipment to zero-emission technology.

Written Comment Period & Comment Submittal

Today, November 14, 2022, initiates the start of the 45-day public comment period. Comments must be submitted and received no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 29, 2022. For questions regarding the public meeting, contact Derek Winters, Air Resources Engineer.

Contact

We welcome and encourage public participation in this process. We would appreciate interested participants registering prior to the meeting. If you require special accommodation or need this document in an alternate format (i.e., Braille, large print) or another language contact Derek Winters, Air Resources Engineer, as soon as possible, but no later than ten days before the scheduled meeting.

For questions regarding the announcement or the potential amendments to Chapter 9: Lawn and Garden Equipment Replacement, please contact  Derek Winters at Derek.Winters@arb.ca.gov.