SACRAMENTO –  Southern California residents can purchase new, zero-pollution electric lawnmowers for as little as $59 at Home Depot stores if they turn in gasoline mowers this weekend at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), 111 N. Hope St., downtown Los Angeles.

        The "Mow Down Pollution" lawnmower exchange runs Saturday and Sunday from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

        New electric mowers will not be available at the DWP.  Rather, people turning in gasoline mowers will be given a $100 coupon allowing them to buy one of three models of Black & Decker electric lawnmowers at any Southern California Home Depot store through June 30.

        The electric mowers cost $159, $198 and $379.  The electric mower purchase receipt and the $100 coupon must be mailed to the California Air Resources Board (ARB). The ARB will then mail the purchaser a check for $100; dropping the purchase price of the electric mower to  $59, $98 or $279.

        A gasoline-powered lawnmower run for an hour puts out about the same amount of smog-forming emissions as 40 new automobiles run for an hour.

        The "Mow Down Pollution" program is run by the California Air Resources Board, the City of Los Angeles, DWP, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and several other California municipalities.