Environmental Group Pitches Leaf Blower Ban

Arguing that pollution and noise from leaf blowers is harmful to workers and residents, the Citizens Environmental Council Burlingame is proposing stiffer regulations on the machines.

Last week, CEC members broached the possibility of an ordinance banning gas and electric leaf blowers during a study session with the city council.

“We really have to address the fact that the health hazard to workers is being ignored,” said JoAnneh Nagler, leader of CEC’s leaf blower initiative. “They are disease creation machines.”

Leaf blower operators are at risk of respiratory and lung disease, tissue damage, hearing loss and stress disorders, according to CEC’s report to council.

Many workers don’t wear masks, eye or ear protection, the report said, and could breathe in particulate matter while operating blowers at 90 to 110 decibels, exceeding Environmental Protection Agency safety levels.

Nagler said she interviewed gardeners in the city and often saw them without ear plugs and other safeguards. “The reactions from workers are the protective measures are not substantial, so really, why bother,” she said.

Residents could also be exposed to the particulate matter and stress-producing noise levels, the report said.

CEC also has concerns with carbon emissions from leaf blowers and fossil fuel use. Electric and four-stroke blowers are more environmentally friendly but still pollute the air and create excessive noise, the report said.

Up to 50 cities in the state have leaf blower bans in place, the report said, including Mill Valley and Palo Alto.

The report recommends a ban on both gas and electric blowers and includes a ban on only gas blowers as a starting point. Code enforcement officers would enforce the complete ban, with fines ranging from $100 to $1,000.

Alternatives to leaf blowers include using a rake or leaf and lawn sweeper machines.

Mayor Terry Nagel said it is too early to say how the council will respond to CEC’s proposal. “We haven’t gone in any specific direction with this yet,” Nagel said.

She said the group did make a compelling case that leaf blowers are a public health issue.

“You have to balance that with the rights of homeowners,” Nagel said. “Is this going to be hugely expensive? Is this going to put people out of business?”

Also, Nagel said the leaf blower alternatives CEC presented are really more for residential use. “You couldn’t begin to clean up the leaves in a large park,” she said.

Nagler said CEC hasn’t committed to one approach. “We are looking at every option that is going to make it work for everybody,” she said.

This spring, CEC is planning another study session with the council on the subject.

Nagler said the group plans to bring two experts from Santa Monica, which uses its leaf blower ban to promote sustainable gardening. The Santa Monica officials will discuss new debris-collecting technologies, from battery-operated machines to turf sweepers, she said.