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Also, care should be given as to where debris is blown. It is imperative that the operator
be courteous and conscientious.
Complaining on the basis of noise alone has not resulted in the kind of support needed to
result in blower ban legislation as anti-blower activists had hoped. They had to expand
their argument from a mere noise complaint, which is only a harmless irritation, to a
potential health hazard. The result is their focusing on engine exhaust emission and the
generation of dust. Intuitively, after listening to their argument, people tend to believe
that blowers might be hazardous to your health, which helps their case. Of course, this
has no foundation in fact, as the CARB report and others have indicated.
Exhaust emission was a problem many years ago, but not any more. Emissions have
been reduced up to 90% to meet new stringent government Standards. Comparing actual
emissions from a car to a leaf blower over the course of time, automobiles are
considerably worse than leaf blowers. Think about it. Most households with one
automobile run a tank of gasoline per week through a car (18 gallons on average) while a
leaf blower’s fuel consumption is measured in ounces per week, per household.
Test results show that dust is insignificant compared to other common sources as was
proven by the University of California study for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution
Control District mentioned earlier in this pamphlet.
There have been many efforts to place a “black cloud” over leaf blowers. Supporters of
this view are truly disturbed by the seemingly loud; mostly irritating sounds generated by
blowers and they feel compelled to do something about it. In their zeal, they are using
every argument possible to paint the blower as an evil and unnecessary landscaping tool.
Often they find someone that said something unflattering about the blower and then they
quote this person as if what he said was fact. Although their argument is mostly
anecdotal and unsubstantiated, this type of propaganda serves to reinforce those that are
considering banning leaf blowers in other communities. You can find comments such as
these on several web pages compiled and financed by dedicated and determined anti-leaf
blower activists.
Leaf Blower Ordinances:
It should be pointed out that there really is no reason to create an ordinance to control
blowers since by attrition; excessively noisy blowers will eventually disappear. New
designs are inherently quieter. However, since this argument is often not accepted, one
should consider the ramifications of introducing a leaf blower noise ordinance.
To begin with, the police will be expected to enforce this unenforceable law. The truth is,
landscapers do not want to give up their leaf blower. In fact, where there is a ban such as
in Los Angeles, many would rather risk paying the fine than have to use a time
consuming and labor intensive broom or rake. The reason is obvious. It just takes too
long. In most cities, an ordinance banning blowers has changed law-abiding citizens into
clever violators. Most important, banning is not the answer!