Maryland Group Wants Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Banned in City

A group of environmentalists wants gas-powered leaf blowers banned in Takoma Park. Md.

Steve Davies and about 30 other environmentalists sent a letter to the city council requesting the ban.

The Department of Public Works uses handheld, gas-powered leaf blowers to clean out flower gardens and bushes. The group requesting the ban would prefer the city use electric leaf blowers and rakes in order to protect the quality of air and of life in Takoma Park, Davies said.

Big institutions like Washington Adventist Hospital, Columbia Union College, Montgomery College and public schools might need the leaf blowers, said Mayor Bruce Williams, who uses a leaf blower to clear his own roof.

"A ban on one thing that's a legal thing to sell and to use in general is just the kind of thing that people would expect from Takoma Park," he said. "I don't want to feed into that expectation."

Takoma Park is known for being very environmentally conscious. It already takes leaves collected by public works and grinds them into mulch for residents to take home and use on their lawns.