The Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership, Inc.’s Clean Mower Exchange rebate program begins Monday, April 1 and Southwest Pennsylvania residents can exchange gasoline-powered lawn equipment for a rebate toward the purchase of electric or battery-powered equipment at 15 participating True Value stores in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, and Westmoreland Counties.

The Partnership is offering 400 rebates, available on a first-come, first-serve basis, one rebate per household for an electric or battery -powered lawnmower, trimmer, chainsaw, leaf blower or push mower, provided a piece of working gasoline-powered lawn equipment is exchanged. 

Residents, at their convenience, may visit their local participating True Value Store to exchange the lawn equipment. Residents will receive the following rebates: $150 toward an electric mower, $100 toward a battery-powered or push mower, $30 toward an electric or battery leaf blower or trimmer and $50 toward an electric or battery-powered chainsaw.

“Residents have an opportunity to help mow down air pollution by replacing the gasoline-powered lawn equipment with an electric or battery-powered or hand-powered version that doesn’t create volatile organic compounds that bake in the summer sunlight to produce ground-level ozone,”

Betsy Mallison, Partnership Clean Mower Exchange Program Coordinator said. “We’ve expanded our program this year to include chainsaws and leaf blowers.  We have plenty of rebates available, so it’s time to take action on this opportunity.”

Ground-level ozone affects everyone, but the young, the old and those with respiratory problems are most at risk. However, when ground-level ozone concentrations are unhealthy, particularly during Air Quality Action Days, everyone is at risk.

The purchase of the new electric or battery-powered lawn equipment must be completed by June 1 and the rebate information mailed into the Partnership by June 15.  To claim the rebate, residents need to send a copy of a receipt, the UPC code from the product box and the rebate coupon they received at the True Value Store. 

The Partnership will work with Evey True Value to drain the oil and gasoline and to recycle the equipment.

The participating True Value stores are listed below--

Allegheny County

Able True Value, 500 Lincoln Highway, North Versailles

Coraopolis True Value, 1029 Fifth Ave., Coraopolis

Evey True Value, 5779 Library Road, Bethel Park

Homecraft True Value Building Center, 3407 Library Road, Pittsburgh

Montour True Value, 1503 Fifth Ave., Coraopolis

Option True Value Supply, 5141 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh

R C Walter and Sons True Value, 1441 Boston Hollow Road, Rt. 48, Boston

Sarasnick’s True Value Hardware, 512 Washington Avenue, Pittsburgh

South Hills True Value, 758 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh

Beaver County

C&I True Value, 2481 Brodhead Road, Aliquippa               

Butler County

Pfeifer True Value, 300 Marshall Way, Mars

Slippery Rock True Value, 239 Grove City Road, Slippery Rock

Sarver True Value, 551 South Pike Road, Sarver

Greene County

Dry Tavern True Value, Corner, Rts, 88 & 188, Rices Landing

Westmoreland County

Latrobe True Value Hardware Center, 712 Industrial Blvd, Suite 2, Latrobe

For more information, download the Mow Down Air Pollution flyer or visit the Southwest PA Air Quality Partnership website.

4/1/2013