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U.S. Bans on Gasoline Leaf Blowers Face Industry Opposition

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Gasoline leaf blower

The roaring sound of gasoline-powered leaf blowers has caused an irresistible disturbance to daily life in communities across the United States, leading towns and states to introduce bans or restrictions. However, these measures face opposition from the landscaping industry and some community homeowners.

According to the Associated Press, opponents of the gasoline leaf blower bans argue that legislation favors electric leaf blowers, which are more expensive and less effective than their gasoline counterparts.

The writer, Jessica Stolzberg, advocated against the use of gasoline leaf blowers, said she helped her hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, implement a ban. “If you look at how loud gasoline leaf blowers are and how much pollution they cause, you understand that using them where we live and where children play is wrong.” she said. Since the ban took effect last October, “Montclair has become a healthier, cleaner, and quieter community.”

However, Stolzberg added that the ban is being challenged in court by landscape designers.

Much like the government’s efforts to transition from gasoline cars to electric vehicles have faced opposition from business groups and many gasoline car owners, the push to mandate the use of electric leaf blowers has sparked complaints from the related industry. After the implementation of new regulations, the production costs for these machines have increased, and their performance has declined.

Some places have already implemented full or partial bans on the use of gasoline leaf blowers, and New Jersey is considering a statewide ban. A state Senate committee introduced a bill on Thursday (20th) that would prohibit communities from using such blowers for most of the year but allow them to use four-stroke internal combustion engines during peak cleaning seasons in the spring and fall. Meanwhile, two-stroke models would be phased out over the next two years.

Industry representatives for leaf blowers have expressed willingness to compromise so that more powerful gasoline leaf blowers can still be used when they are most needed.

The New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA), representing 550 companies in the state, said its president Rich Goldstein stated: “New Jersey is not California or Florida. Our state is filled with leaves and things that need cleaning. A typical house in New Jersey accumulates 30 to 50 cubic feet of leaves every fall.”

Gasoline leaf blowers are becoming a target for government bans across the U.S. California’s related ban will take effect next month, and similar legislation has been passed in Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; Montgomery County, Maryland; Burlington, Vermont; and Evanston, Illinois.

New Jersey Environmental Commissioner Doug O’Malley noted that more than 100 cities nationwide have banned or restricted the use of gasoline leaf blowers, calling them a major source of pollution. He stated that using such a machine for one hour causes as much pollution as driving a gasoline car for 1,100 miles.

Goldstein, head of the New Jersey landscape designers group, said, “My company owns gasoline leaf blowers worth $150,000 to $200,000. What am I supposed to do, throw them in the trash?”

The proposed New Jersey bill would provide financial assistance to the industry to cover the costs of purchasing new electric leaf blowers. Goldstein added that cost is not the only issue; modifying the machines’ performance will be a significant challenge.

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