Between 300 and 400  US towns and cities have either passed laws banning gas-powered leaf blowers or are currently considering it--many, like Rockport, choosing a phase-out approach.

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But why just gas blowers? Because most use excessively loud outdated 2-stroke engines that produce ear-damaging noise at a long distance and emit carcinogenic fumes and particulates that blow around with the leaves at up to 280mph (three times more wind force than the 78mph winds of a hurricane.) 

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The toxic fumes and particulates enter the lungs of the operators--as well as people and pets walking by. Compounding this, greenhouse gases are also emitted from the mix of gas and oil--including CO2 at 11 pounds per 40 minutes of operation. Only 60% of the gas-oil mix is used, while the other 40% becomes carcinogenic fumes and tiny particulates that don't leave the lungs once inhaled.

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Those of us who are "bystanders" (neighbors, walkers, citizens) are exposed to risks for permanent hearing loss as well hypertension, cardiac issues, lung and blood cancer and other respiratory illnesses. Please review Mt. Sinai School of Medicine for more information on the public health impacts of gas blowers (Community Talk: Health Hazards of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers.)

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Those engines were banned from roads nationwide many decades ago - before gas leaf blowers were widely used or noticed in neighborhoods. We all notice them now!

 

The prolonged noise roars on at up to 115 decibels – at least 10,000 times louder than CDC/WHO recommendations to protect us from permanent hearing loss (noise is measured on log scale). These ear-deafening engines, unlike cars and trucks, have no mufflers or catalytic converters to help contain the toxic noise and fumes.

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This is a serious public health issue now that these machines are ubiquitous in neighborhoods. In fact, all the data is based on one blower - while we are seeing multiple blowers on properties regularly.  The low frequency sound waves (not mentioned on manufacturers' labels) penetrate walls, windows and humans -- and those types of sound waves travel far with very slow dissipation. At 800 feet away from a blower, the low frequency sound is still  1,000 louder than the 35db safety limit for the ears of elderly and children. Yet they are running near schools?

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The costs to health must be weighed against the desire to have a “golf course” lawn. There are viable alternatives to cleaning up leaves. Listen to videos by CEOs who run clean and quiet lawn care companies--interviewed for the purpose of learning the ins and outs of transitioning from gas to battery lawncare. The alternatives are not only clean, quiet and affordable, the operational costs drop precipitously mainly due to the costs of fuel and maintenance for gas blowers. And, they say that they don't run them constantly because one can turn the engine on and off so easily, while gas blowers don't stop until the lawn is cleaned.

 

The Rockport Board of Health voted unanimously in agreement with the public health impacts presented as a basis for this petition to phase out gas blowers. Two select board members voted in favor of this petition-and two candidates for the select board also favor this petition.​