New EPA rules will affect boats and lawn mowers

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With the Environmental Protection Agency announcing stricter emissions rules for boat engines, lawn mowers and weed trimmers, some are grappling with just what the new rules will mean to them.Lawn care companies are worried about what the changes will cost them, while eco-friendly residents are eagerly anticipating the stricter guidelines.The EPA's goal is to reduce smog and other pollutants by requiring that boats and lawn equipment have special engines that decrease emissions.Here's what you need to know: What will be affected by the new rules? Gas-powered personal watercraft and inboard and outboard engines purchased in 2010 must meet stricter emission guidelines. New lawn mowers and other lawn equipment using 25 horsepower or less purchased after 2011 will have to as well.How will the machines achieve lower emissions? Manufacturers will begin using catalytic converters in many small watercraft and lawn and garden equipment. An insulated chamber converts hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in exhaust to water vapor and carbon dioxide.How will using these converters affect the price of these vessels and equipment? The EPA expects an overall savings to consumers since the new technology will require less fuel. But the savings aren't that big. For example, a lawn mower that meets the new rules is expected to cost about $15 less after fuel savings are taken into consideration.Can you still use your old lawn mowers and boats after 2010? Yes. But many boats purchased after 2010 and lawn equipment purchased after 2011 will need to have the new technology, which many manufacturers are already implementing.How much more energy-efficient will these new engines be? The EPA expects that when the new guidelines are fully implemented, the rule will result in a 600,000-ton reduction in hydrocarbons, 130,000 tons of nitrogen oxide and 1.5-million tons of carbon monoxide each year. The new standard is also supposed to save about 190-million gallons of gasoline a year.For more information, visit www.epa.gov/nonroad.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)