Hate leaf blowers? Sacramento is taking steps toward banning them on poor air quality days
Sacramento could be the next California city to ban the use of leaf blowers, but only on days when air pollution is especially bad.
City Councilman Jeff Harris is proposing the city amend its code to prohibit the use of all leaf blowers, electric or gas-powered, when the Air Quality Index hits or exceeds 100, which happens on average about 34 days a year, according to a city staff report.
Blowers release carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and hydrocarbons into the air, as well as “considerable amounts” of dust, noise and exhaust impacting residents, businesses and pedestrians in the area, the report said. The ban could also help residents who suffer from asthma or other respiratory issues.
The small gasoline engines that power lawn mowers and leaf blowers pollute the environment at a higher rate than other equipment and vehicles, according to the California Air Resources Board.
Existing city code bans the use of gas blowers within 200 feet of residential property except between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, the report said. It also bans portable gas blowers that exceed certain decibel levels.
Sacramento would be following a trend in other California cities with leaf blower bans. Several Bay Area cities, including Berkeley and Mill Valley, have banned gas-powered leaf blowers, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
“A lot of them have banned just because of the nuisance and noise, but we have a serious air quality issue in the Central Valley,” Harris said.
The Sacramento region has the fifth worst ozone air pollution of major metropolitan areas in the country, according to the most recent report from the American Lung Association. The region has the 15th worst short-term particle pollution in the nation, the report said.
Harris said he has been working on the ordinance for about two years. On Tuesday, the council’s Law and Legislation Committee discussed it. The committee plans to discuss it again at a later date, city spokesman Tim Swanson said. In order to be adopted, it would require a full council vote.
Harris said he talked to owners of lawn care companies, who said the ban would not seriously impact their businesses.
Councilman Eric Guerra said the city should work to educate lawn care workers, especially those who are Spanish-speaking or whose businesses are based outside the city.
“I’d wager the grand majority of folks who are in the landscape industry have English as a second language,” Guerra said. “Many may be immigrants so their knowledge and awareness of access to government information may also be a challenge. I wanna make sure we’re getting that information out in a way that is inclusive.”
Councilman Steve Hansen also said he wants a robust education campaign and public feedback, and wants the city or other government entity to set up a way to alert lawn care workers when the AQI exceeds 100.
No lawn care business owners or workers showed up to the afternoon meeting Tuesday.
Several residents, including Kim Alexander, president and founder of the California Voter Foundation, spoke in favor of the ordinance.
“I hope this ordinance will help operators and customers alike become more aware of the negative impacts blowers are having on our communities,” said Alexander, a Land Park resident.
Harris said the need for the ban became more apparent after the Camp Fire in Paradise in 2018, when the AQI in Sacramento was over 300 and people were still using blowers.
“I thought, ‘there’s gotta be a better way,’” Harris said. “This is insanity.”
The council did not discuss what the enforcement mechanism would be.
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 3:33 PM.
