SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Legislation aimed at minimizing California’s leaf blower bans suffered a minor setback statewide, while one city made a step towards improved blower ordinances.
STATEWIDE BLOWER BILL DEFEATED. Proposed leaf blower legislation, Assembly Bill 1609, to develop a standard for city and county blower bans was defeated in a close vote by the California Legislature’s Senate Environmental Quality Committee in July. The bill, proposed by the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) and authored by Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar), would have prevented cities and counties from banning leaf blowers with a noise level standard of 65 decibels or less at 50 feet.
Barbara Alvarez of Golden State Landscaping Inc., San Dimas, testified on behalf of the bill for CLCA. Alvarez is co-chair of the association’s Legislation Committee and president of the Los Angeles/San Gabriel Chapter.
The following California state senators voted for the bill: Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar), Bruce McPherson (R-Santa Cruz), Richard Rainey (R-Walnut Creek) and Hilda Solis (D-Del Monte).
The following California state senators voted against the bill: Dede Alpert (D-Coronado), Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata), Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo), Byron Sher (D-Palo Alto) and Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley).
State Senator Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles) abstained.
The Environmental Quality Committee did grant the bill "reconsideration," which means that Cardenas may bring the bill back to the committee for another vote. That action must happen soon for the bill to be reconsidered, as Aug. 31 is the deadline for the Legislature to pass all bills that were introduced last year and this year.
PALO ALTO IMPROVES LEAF BLOWER ORDINANCE. Meanwhile, the California city of Palo Alto extended the timeline for a previous decision to ban fuel-powered blowers in the city by next July. The efforts of CLCA’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter helped convince the city to extend the date until July 2002 and allow for limited non-residential uses of fuel-powered blowers.
Earlier this year the Palo Alto City Council voted to ban the use of fuel-powered blowers throughout the city by July 1, 2001. Prior to the ruling, the SFBA Chapter and the Bay Area Gardeners Association had been working with city officials in hopes of getting a more reasonable ordinance.
Following the initial ruling, the two local organizations continued to push for a better ordinance. In particular, CLCA member Frank Manocchio of Land Escapes, Redwood City, kept the pressure on. He wrote a three-page letter to the city council that refuted arguments made by anti-blower activists.
Two months after the vote to ban fuel-powered blowers city council revisited the issue and extended the grace period for use until July 1, 2002. The extension was granted to give manufacturers more time to develop quieter machines. The understanding is that if manufacturers do develop quieter blowers, the ban could be lifted.
According to the new ordinance, the maximum allowable noise emission from all blowers as of January 2001 will be 65 decibels at 50 feet. Come July 2002, all fuel-powered blowers will be prohibited in residential areas. In non-residential areas, those blowers would be allowed during specified hours Monday through Saturday.
Local landscape contractors and gardeners are now working with city officials on an education program for commercial users who will be required to undergo city-approved training on the proper use of the equipment.
Article adapted from and reprinted with permission from the California Landscape Contractors Association’s monthly newsletter, "The Cutting Edge." For more information about CLCA, visit the organization’s web site at www.clca.org.