Amend Article 8.31 of the Town's General By-laws to prohibit the use of gasoline powered leaf blowers
Petitioner: Donald Warner
Special Town Meeting, November 2019
The exhaust of gasoline-powered leaf blowers contributes to air pollution, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and carbon dioxide. While auto emissions have been on the decline, the emissions from gas-powered leaf blowers have stayed the same or increased. Electric leaf blowers have no emissions.
The Center for Disease Control has identified gas leaf blowers as a source of harmful noise. The noise from gasoline-powered leaf blowers is not only damaging to the hearing of the operator and those standing nearby, but the strong low frequency component of that noise travels over long distances, and penetrates walls and windows. Electric leaf blowers do not have that low frequency component.
This proposed amendment to the General Bylaw would prohibit the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers, except for leaf blowers operated by Town employees or contractors while performing work for the Town.