<font color=blue>INDUSTRY BUZZ</font> Leaf Blower Regulations on the Rise

Last fall, communities across the U.S. made attempts to ban or regulate leaf blower usage. 

For example, in September 2006, the Capitola, Calif. city council voted to increase restricted hours of use for leaf blowers in residential areas to 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. from the original 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.  This resulted from a petition submitted that requested a complete ban on leaf blowers. Capitola is a neighbor to Palo Alto, Calif., which enacted a ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers in July 2005.

In October 2006, in Westchester County, N.Y., Executive Andrew Spano indicated he would submit a proposal that would require commercial landscape professionals and county employees to switch to “cleaner” models over a two-year period.  Westchester County encompasses 16 towns.

Under the proposed legislation, the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection will provide a list of approved products that must be used in order to renew contractor/landscaper licenses (renewed every two years).  Landscapers will verify the quantity, make and model of all portable leaf blowers when applying for or renewing a license. The legislation recommends that any violation result in a $1,000 fine or the denial or revocation of a license.

In Cambridge, Mass. in November, City Manager Robert Healy created a task force to investigate the possibility of a citywide ban on leaf blowers.  Resident complaints included noise, environmental damage and potential health risks.  The task force contained residents, representatives from an equipment manufacturer, landscaping firm, relevant city departments, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

These are just a few examples of the regulations being enacted.

Educate to Protect
In the case of the Capitola action, a group of landscape professionals and citizens effectively argued that a ban on leaf blowers would increase costs of landscape maintenance and that the issue was one of courteous use   not the leaf blower itself. Taking these steps to educate the public can make a difference.

Take an active role in protecting your business. It is important that information on cleaner, quieter leaf blower technologies be communicated to city officials by landscapers and equipment dealers in those communities considering leaf blower regulation. Under section 209 of the Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA), California is the only state given authority to regulate emissions for small engines under 50 horsepower.  The Bond Amendment to the FCAA prohibits other states from adopting California’s emissions regulations.  Therefore, under the Clean Air Act, no state or municipality can regulate any product’s emissions (e.g. air pollution).

If you hear about a proposed leaf blower ban, you should:

• Contact the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) to keep them informed of the proposed legislation (see link to their Web site below.
• Talk to the community. Call the city department that is initiating the proposed regulation and set up a meeting to discuss facts about sound and usage. Be ready to discuss alternatives to bans.
• Meet with the city. Have accurate facts about leaf blowers to present to those at the meeting. Use the resources listed at the end of this article to support your case.
• Call the manufacturer of the equipment your company uses and let them know what is happening.

In operating your leaf blowers, remember to:

• Invest in the latest equipment. In some cases, due to engine re-design, new leaf blowers are 75 percent quieter than older versions. In addition, new models also reduce emissions that make the equipment more environmentally friendly as well.
• Make sure your equipment is well maintained. Equipment that is not maintained reduces the life of the product, creates unnecessary noise and emissions output.
• Reduce the sound of your leaf blower by lowering the throttle speed and by using special nozzle attachments designed to reduce noise even further.
• Most importantly, practice safe and courteous use. Stop blowing if there are people in the area. Reduce noise in populated areas during early morning and early evening hours as much as possible.
• Make sure your employees have read and understand the manual.

To help present the facts about leaf blowers, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute has assembled these materials at www.opei.org/commercial/index.asp:

• Flash presentation --- Leaf Blowers:  Concerns, Perceptions, Facts & Solutions
• Training Manual --- Leaf Blowers:  A Guide to Safe & Courteous Use
• OPEI Leaf Blower Fact Sheet
• OPEI Member Leaf Blower Manufacturers

Other online resources include:

Professional Landcare Network (PLANET)

California Air Resources Report on the Potential Health and Environmental Impacts of Leaf Blowers

Particulate Matter Emissions Factors and Emissions Inventory from Leaf Blower in Use in the San Joaquin Valley (2006)

Bill Harley is president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.