LOWER MERION \u2014 Lower Merion commissioners have adopted an ordinance that will lead to the banning of gas-powered leaf blowers by 2029.<\/p>\n
But before the 2029 ban goes into effect, there will also be seasonal bans in 2026, 2027 and 2028.<\/p>\n
The new ordinance will also \u201cprohibit the use of portable generators to directly power electric leaf blowers or to charge the electric batteries thereof; to require that notice of the prohibition of the use of gas powered leaf blowers be posted at establishments in the Township that sell them; and to provide violations and penalties for the enforcement hereof.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGas powered leaf blowers create air pollution and noise pollution, contribute to climate change through the release of greenhouse gas emissions, and impair the health, social welfare, peace, and quality of life of persons residing and working in Lower Merion Township,\u201d according to one section of the new ordinance. The practice of blowing leaves and other debris for property maintenance has unintended environmental and health consequences. The blowing of leaves, dust, and debris causes fine particulate emissions and disruption to pollinator habitats. Exposure to fine particulate matter may impact workers using this equipment, individuals with respiratory conditions, children, and other vulnerable populations. Accordingly, the purpose of this ordinance is to reduce the adverse impact of such equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several residents and business owners spoke both in support and against the ordinance. Arguments ranged from the adverse health effects of using gas-powered equipment to the costs and burdens that will be forced on landscaping entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
Nancy Winkler, who supported the new ordinance, said she began working on the issue in 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this ordinance is passed, by the time it becomes fully effective, it will have been nine years since I first started working on it with many of you,\u201d Winkler said. \u201cLast month, compelling public comments addressed grave concerns about toxic two-cycle gas leaf blowers and their adverse effects on human health. Children implored you to protect their health and be stewards of their constitutional rights to clean air. The elderly expressed concerns about the impact on blood pressure and cardiovascular systems. Physicians explained the adverse impacts on the human body, including the brain. Mothers of children with asthma and hundreds of people emailed or spoke that the gas blower scourge interrupts their ability to quietly enjoy their own yards, take a walk, and work from home. Hearing-impaired people explained the awful impact on them. \u201c<\/p>\n
Bruce Walsh spoke up to oppose the ban.<\/p>\n
\u201cI oppose the gas-powered blower ban,\u201d Walsh said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great idea, but it\u2019s not the right time. The technology isn\u2019t there. The cost that will go into our local economy will suffer. The landscapers and their workers, and in turn, it\u2019s going to trickle down Main Street.\u201d<\/p>\n
Monica Mandell also spoke up against the ban.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here to talk about safety, noise, and small businesses,\u201d Mandell said. \u201cMy yard is on a corner. I am also the bus stop. I have 10 sycamores. I have a cork tree. I have oak trees. The amount of leaves that my yard produces is unbelievable. A few weeks ago, my gardener came to my husband and said, \u2018I can no longer work for you in a while.\u2019 \u2018Why?\u2019 \u2018Because of this new ordinance.\u2019 Well, let me tell you, the bus stop, we have been there for 35 years. We cannot clean up all of our leaves. I spend thousands of dollars getting these leaves cleaned. My gardener will have to raise his prices. I can\u2019t do that. And I don\u2019t know who\u2019s going to do that. The bus stop, the kids are going to have to walk over lots and lots of leaves. We have a sidewalk. People like the sidewalk clean so they can walk safely.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Feldman\u00a0cited noise, quality-of-life issues, and interruptions to home life and businesses, especially as more people work from home.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround health, the small particular pollution these engines are dirtier than cars,\u201d Feldman said. \u201cThe numbers range anywhere from four times worse to 50 times worse. So, I\u2019m not going to pick one to quote. And obviously, the climate impact, the CO2 discharge, again, higher than cars. The most egregious are the two-stroke, which is the most common, and certainly leaf blowers. I would actually advocate extending it to more landscape equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following public comment, some of the commissioners weighed in on the topic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis ordinance, if adopted tonight, is going to require change and change is not always easy,\u201d Commissioner Gilda Kramer said. If all of us, our residents, our landscaping businesses, and the township work together in the coming years to make these changes, Lower Merion will have a better environment, health, and quality of life. Together, we will bring us a step closer to providing our residents the right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and aesthetic values of the environment as guaranteed by the Pennsylvania Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the end, the commissioners voted to approve the ordinance. It was unclear what penalties would be imposed for violation of the partial and subsequently full ban.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LOWER MERION \u2014 Lower Merion commissioners have adopted an ordinance that will lead to the banning of gas-powered…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49455,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[182,183,185,184,186,200,139,28,210],"class_list":{"0":"post-49454","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lower-merion","8":"tag-local-news","9":"tag-lower-merion","10":"tag-lower-merion-headlines","11":"tag-lower-merion-news","12":"tag-lower-merion-township","13":"tag-montgomery-county","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-pennsylvania","16":"tag-top-stories-dtd"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}