Landscape Architect Articles

Palm Springs Enacts Leaf Blower Ban07-28-17 | Legislation

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Palm Springs Enacts Leaf Blower Ban
Singles Out Gas-powered Models

U.S. communities continue to outlaw leaf blowers due to noise and air pollution concerns.

The famed desert resort city of Palm Springs, California, voted recently to get a little quieter when the city council passed a measure that will phase out gas leaf blowers, but stopped short of a total blower ban as electric and battery powered models will still be allowed. Landscape professionals addressed what they feel is the necessity of leaf blowers to do their job, which essentially is to make the town more attractive. They argued that these pieces of equipment are even more critical now because the drought-tolerant landscapes that have become so popular include a lot of rock and gravel, and the only feasible way to clean leaves out of them is with a blower. Other landscapers pointed out that battery-powered blowers do not have a long enough runtime to be a useful tool for professionals. The mayor of the city, Robert Moon, and one council member voted against the rule. The ban will begin to be enforced in 16 months. The local air pollution control agency, the South Coast Quality Management District has a trade-in program for landscape professionals who can swap gas-powered leaf blowers for electric ones at half the retail cost. More information is available at 1-888-425-6247 or https://tinyurl.com/hyp49fk