Leaf Blower Battle - Providence City Council Members Propose New Limits

Leaf Blower Battle - Providence City Council Members Propose New Limits

One of the growing issues of conflict in Providence and across the country is the impact of leaf blowers.

Gas-powered leaf blowers are noisy, produce greenhouse gases, are dangerous for workers, and are a leading cause of noise pollution, according to critics.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill this month that phases out the sale of gasoline-powered leaf blowers by 2024.

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Now, three members of the Providence City Council are proposing some limits on leaf blowers. East Side Councilors Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3 and a candidate for mayor), Helen Anthony (Ward 2) and John Goncalves (Ward 1) are pushing the new limits.

New Regulations Proposed

The Council members are proposing limits on the noise from the machines and limits on hours of usage, but their proposal does not address the environmental or worker issues.

The Providence Noise Project, a new group — which does not identify any of its members or who is financially supporting the group — says it supports the proposed amendment and urges Providence residents who want to reduce noise in the city to attend the meeting to show their support for it — "even if leafblowers are not a big source of noise in your neighborhood."

"It's important to use every opportunity we have to communicate to members of the City Council that residents want the city government to do more to reduce excessive, unnecessary, and unhealthy noise that's been rampant in the city for too long," says the group in their e-mail. 

Gas-powered leaf blowers are a significant source of pollutants. A study by Washington University in St. Louis writes, "Many consumer-grade blowers (and some mowers) use a two-stroke engine, which lacks an independent lubrication system, so fuel has to be mixed with oil. Burning oil and fuel emits a number of harmful toxic pollutants into the air, including carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides (which cause smog formation and acid rain), and hydrocarbons (a carcinogenic gas that also causes smog)."

"The number of air pollutants emitted by gas-powered leaf blowers and lawnmowers exceed pollutant emissions of large automobiles, which are regulated to reduce and capture many air pollutants. A 2011 study showed that a leaf blower emits nearly 300 times the amount of air pollutants as a pickup truck," writes the WU report.

 

What Will the Proposed Amendment Do

Specifically, the proposed amendments to the existing city ordinance are as follows:

Sec. 16-100. Leaf Blowers

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to use, at any time, a leafblower within any residential zone that has an average sound level exceeding seventy (70) dBA measured at or within the real property boundary of a receiving land use or when the same is audible to a person of reasonably sensitive hearing at a distance of two hundred (200) feet from its source.

(b) Leafblowers shall not be operated within the city between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.

It is expected that law maintenance companies will be opposing the proposed changes. 

The hearing on the legislation will be held City Council's Committee on Ordinances on Wednesday, October 27, at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber on the third floor of City Hall.