Blowers May Be Banned in Your City
There are many good reasons to hate blowers : they are loud, disgusting, and harmful to both health and the environment. Not surprisingly, more and more cities in the US are restricting their use and even banning them entirely. Here’s how to find out if your area has a blower ban.
More than 100 US cities have banned gasoline blowers for at least part of the year. While pollution is certainly a concern, the main reason behind these bans is how noisy the blowers make, which is why they are regulated locally. If you want to know what rules apply where you live, first check the noise ordinances in your city or county. Local news should also contain additional information.
If you use a yard blower and it’s “banned” in your area, be sure to read the fine print because every city does things differently. Most regulations don’t actually ban blowers outright; instead, they regulate when and where they can be used. For example, here in Portland, Oregon, ” City code restricts the use of daytime blowers from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm in all residential land use areas.” But it’s not always easy: Newton, Massachusetts bans all gas-powered blowers from Memorial Day to Labor Day , but allows one electric or battery-powered blower per lot during that time. Gasoline blowers with a noise level of less than 65 decibels are good during the rest of the year, but only during certain hours, which differ on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. There is also a graduated system of fines depending on the number of violations; everything is very difficult. (I’m glad I’m not in charge of the lawn in Newton, Massachusetts.)
Conclusion: Before running your blower for the season, double-check your local regulations to make sure it doesn’t result in a fine. And if you’re still using a gas blower, now is the perfect time to explore other options .