[Durham INC] Durham Hosts "Get Your Grass Off Gas" Events May 18 & June 15

Mon Apr 22 08:04:42 EDT 2013

City of Durham

County of Durham

Joint News Release

For Immediate Release: April 22, 2013

News Media Contacts:

Amy Blalock

Senior Public Affairs Specialist, City of Durham

(919) 560-4123, ext. 11253

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

Deborah Craig-Ray

Assistant County Manager, County of Durham

(919) 560-0002

dcraig-ray at dconc.gov

Durham Hosts "Get Your Grass Off Gas" Events May 18 & June 15 

Two Opportunities to Purchase Deeply-Discounted Electric Yard Equipment

DURHAM, N.C. - Durham residents looking to trade in their old
gas-guzzling mowers and other yard equipment should mark their calendars
now for two events providing steep discounts on cleaner and greener
electric versions.

The Durham City-County Sustainability Office is partnering with Black &
Decker(r) to host the 3rd Annual "Get Your Grass Off Gas" events.  At
these two events, residents can purchase discounted electric yard and
garden equipment to help get polluting gasoline-powered equipment "off
the grass" and into the recycling bin. Discounts will range from 20 to
45 percent off depending on the model. Equipment available includes
lawnmowers, trimmers, edgers, blowers, vacuums, and loppers. People who
do not have older equipment to trade in can still purchase electric
models at the events, but with a smaller discount.

Residents can stop by the Durham County Memorial Stadium, 750 Stadium
Dr., on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or Jordan High School,
6806 Garrett Rd., on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to recycle
their old gas equipment and purchase new, discounted electric equipment.
Both events will be held rain or shine. 

According to Tobin Freid, manager of the Durham City-County
Sustainability Office, small engines from gas-powered lawn equipment are
actually big polluters of the air. "Most people do not associate air
pollution with mowing the lawn, yet emissions from gasoline-powered lawn
mowers, leaf blowers, chain saws, and similar outdoor power equipment
are a significant source of pollution," Freid said. "The Environmental
Protection Agency estimates that using a standard gas-powered lawn mower
for one hour produces as much smog-forming pollution as driving an
average car almost 200 miles."

New manufacturing rules began to address such pollution sources in 2011
and 2012 models. However, older equipment still in use in just about
every yard in Durham emits high levels of carbon monoxide, which is a
colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas. "Not only do these small engines
emit this toxic gas, they also emit tiny particles that cause lung and
heart problems, as well as hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, which are
pollutants that contribute to the formation of ozone and smog," Freid
said. "Ground-level ozone is a pollutant that irritates lungs and can
affect breathing. Gas-powered yard equipment users inadvertently
contribute to the problem by carelessly handling fuel and by not
maintaining their equipment properly."

Residents who want to make a difference in Durham's air quality and take
advantage of these opportunities to purchase cleaner equipment should
visit http://www.GreenerDurham.net for more information on models and
prices and to pre-register to reserve specific electric equipment.
Pre-registration is not required, however event organizers cannot
guarantee a particular model will be available on either day without
pre-registration. 

All gas-powered equipment brought in to recycle at either event must be
drained of fluids before being dropped off. Used motor oil can be
dropped off at the City of Durham's Waste Disposal and Recycling Center
(Transfer Station), located at 2115 E. Club Blvd. The facility is open
Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30
a.m. to noon. 

Assisting residents in switching from polluting equipment to cleaner
equipment aligns with the Environmental Stewardship Goals in the City of
Durham and County of Durham Strategic Plans as well as the City-County
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan.  

For more information about either of these trade-in events, contact
Freid at (919) 560-7999 or by email at tfreid at dconc.gov.

Residents may also learn more by liking the Durham City-County
Sustainability Office's Facebook page at 
http://www.Facebook.com/GreenerDurham.net or by following Greener Durham
on Twitter @Greener Durham <http://www.twitter.com/GreenerDurham> .  

For more information about Black & Decker, visit 
http://www.BlackandDecker.com. 

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