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INDUSTRY NEWS OPEI issues tamper-resistance compliance guidelines for small engines and lawn and garden products The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced Sept. 26 that it issued a new Guidance Document outlining best practices and guidelines on tamper- resistance compliance for small engines and lawn and garden products. During the past year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated enforcement ac- tions that led to the seizure of small engines and lawn and gar- den products because of concerns that the engines were equipped with carburetors that could be ille- gally adjusted by repair facilities and consumers. Such illegal tam- pering could potentially cause emissions in excess of the engine's EPA- "certified configuration." In these cases, EPA determined that the carburetors were equipped with inadequate "tamper- resistant" features. To prevent such illegal tampering and adjustments, carburetors typically have limiter caps or seals that prevent adjust- ments outside of the certified configura- tion. In some products, adjustments can only be made using "special tools" exclu- sively supplied by a manufacturer to their repair networks and dealers. Under the pre-existing regulatory framework, EPA En- forcement re-tested engines and carbure- tors to determine whether the carburetors had effective "tamper-resistant" features. To improve the current process, OPEI recently issued an influential Guidance OPEI urges all the affected carburetor and engine manufacturers and importers to closely review and promptly adopt the suggested best practices in the OPEI Guidance. -- Kris Kiser Document on Tamper-Resistance Compli- ance. "OPEI urges all the affected carbure- tor and engine manufacturers and importers to closely review and promptly adopt the suggested best practices in the OPEI Guidance," said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. The OPEI Guidance recommends the following: • Carburetor or engine manufacturers should first obtain pre-approval by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which tests each carburetor to ensure that its "tamper-resistant" mechanisms are compliant. • The CARB pre-approval — along with detailed descriptions and pictures of the tamper-resistant mechanism or device and the manufacturer's "special tools" — should be submitted electronically to the U.S. EPA Certification Office, as part of the engine certification appli- cations for the upcoming 2012 and subsequent model year engines. "As long as this documentation is submitted to EPA and the tamper- resistant mechanisms have been produced and installed as approved by CARB, then manufacturers should be able to manufacture and/or import engines and products without market disruption," said OPEI Counsel Bill Guerry. In those exceptional circumstances where CARB has not tested or approved the carburetor, manufacturers should sub- mit documentation to EPA on their own tamper-resistant testing results (pursuant to the OPEI Guidance) demonstrating satis- factory tamper resistance. OPEI expects EPA to issue its own en- forcement alert and certification guidance this fall that will provide clarifications that are similar to the OPEI Guidance Docu- ment. To obtain a copy of the OPEI Guidance, go to http://members.opei.org/about-us/re source-center/OPEIGuidanceDocument.pdf. OPEI announces new VP of industry affairs The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced on Oct. 4 the appointment of Gerry Coons as its new VP of in- dustry affairs. Coons, an engineer and MBA, is a 30-year OPE industry veteran, having most recently served as general manager at the Husqvarna production fa- cility in Orangeburg, S.C. In his new role with OPEI, Coons will oversee and manage ISO and 10 ANSI standards work and regu- latory relationships with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Consumer Prod- uct Safety Commission (CPSC), California Air Resources Board (CARB), Health Canada and Canadian Provincial Authorities. "OPEI is strengthening its core capabilities to better serve our members' needs," said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of Gerry Coons OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OPEI. "Gerry's substantial back- ground with equipment manu- facturing and regulation brings 'real world' experience to our organization. It is imperative that OPEI continue to be the global leader in the harmo- nization of rules and standards for outdoor power equipment, and with Gerry's oversight, we'll be able to grow and bol- ster the association's role."