You could get up to $250 back when trading in your old gas mower for an electric mower.
There is also $50 available when making a direct purchase (no trade-in) of electric mowers and other electric yard care equipment such as; edgers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, and pole saws.
The rebates are part of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s Clean Green Yard Machines Residential Program
Interested San Joaquin Valley residents should visit www.valleyair.org/CGYM for program guidelines and an application before purchasing new equipment.
“The new lawn mower is very easy — just push a button and it starts,” said rebate recipient Alma Renteria of Fresno. “I am so happy that I can mow my own lawn. Before it was a lot more work because I had to pull the starter cord with all my might and it did not matter how many times I pulled, I couldn't turn it on. I had to rely on my husband, but now I can do it myself,”.
Gas-powered yard care equipment presents a significant source of localized air pollution in Valley neighborhoods. These small engines contain no emission controls and pollute substantially more than newer passenger vehicles.
One gas mower produces the equivalent in emissions of 12 late-model cars operating for the same time.
San Joaquin County failed in all three categories of the State of the Air 2022 assessment. The report was issued by the American Red Cross based on data gleaned from the Environmental Protection Agency.
That means there has not been a single year since 2000 when there have been not been excessive high ozone days as well as an excessive number of 24-hour periods of high particle levels that did not exceed the acceptable levels of three days.
Annual particle pollution was only a tad better with four years — 2009 thru 2012 when they were less than the acceptable 12 annual days.
As a result, the American Red Cross noted there are more than 130,000 people among the county’s 767,967 residents that have health issues that put them at greater risk. The list runs from 29,509 cases of adult asthma and 13,961 cases of pediatric asthma to 38,004 people with cardiovascular disease and 29,509 with COPD among other ailments.
The issue is personal to Congressman Josh Harder who, along with his brother, suffered childhood asthma growing up in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
