Public Workshop to Discuss Potential Changes to the Small Off-Road Engine Regulations Workshop to be held March 24, 2021

California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) staff invites you to participate in a public workshop to learn about potential changes to CARB’s small off-road engine (SORE) exhaust and evaporative emission regulations. Potential changes the Board may consider include: tighter criteria air pollutant emission standards and a transition of the SORE category to zero-emission equipment to achieve additional criteria air pollutant emission reductions, addition of a zero-emission generator credit program, improvements to the test procedures to prevent fuel spillage and leakage, and repeal of the variance provision. The workshop will consist of a presentation by staff lasting approximately 45 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The workshop will be held via webinar on the following date and time:
Date: March 24, 2021
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PDT

Audio will be available through the webinar or by telephone. The webinar will also have a chat dialog input box for questions and comments related to the presentation. The workshop agenda, webinar participation details, and an electronic copy of the staff presentation will be posted before the workshop on the SORE website.

More Information

Background
SORE are spark-ignition engines rated at 19 kilowatts or less. They are used in applications such as lawn and garden equipment, industrial equipment, and specialty vehicles. Criteria air pollutant emissions from SORE have been reduced through exhaust emission standards implemented between 1995 and 2008 and evaporative emission standards implemented between 2006 and 2013. CARB’s 2016 State Implementation Plan Strategy includes a measure to further reduce criteria air pollutant emissions from SORE. In addition, CARB staff have developed an updated emission inventory for SORE to assess the statewide magnitude of criteria air pollutant emissions from SORE, which will help CARB staff estimate the criteria air pollutant emission reductions from the proposed regulatory amendments relative to the existing statewide inventory.

Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250 et seq.), your written and verbal comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g., your address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request. CARB staff invite interested members of the public to submit written comments on any potential regulatory proposals or the material presented at the workshop and ask that comments be submitted no later than April 8, 2021.

If you require a special accommodation or need this document in an alternate format (i.e. Braille, large print) or another language, please contact Jenna Ostad or (916) 445-7278 as soon as possible, but no later than three business days before the scheduled event. TTY/TDD/Speech to Speech users may dial 711 for the California Relay Service.

Comments or questions regarding the content that will be discussed at the workshop may be submitted to Christopher.Burford@arb.ca.gov or Dorothy.Fibiger@arb.ca.gov.