Last week, the Sustainable Burbank Commission met, and on their agenda was a letter to be sent to the City Council recommending that gas-powered leaf-blowers machines be prohibited for use in Burbank.
In the letter, the Commission is also asking the Council to limit, “The use of all leaf blowers, both gas and electric, to hardscape surfaces, such as driveways and walkways. No leaf blowers of any kind should be
used on vegetated areas, as contaminants in the dirt and soil can be made airborne, top soil can be lost, and biodiversity impacted.”
Some of the concerns they had included the noise the blowers cause, with some being as loud as 95 to 155 decibels, which can result in hearing damage for the operator over a period of time. They also noted that the noise could also disturb residents, with many more people working at home now.
Also, gas-powered leaf blowers emit high levels of benzene, butadiene, formaldehyde, and fine
particulates; all are known carcinogens, and all can cause respiratory illnesses.
What was also brought up is the fact that the small engine is rated as one of the dirtiest on Earth, with one hour of usage being comparable to “driving a 2017 Toyota Camry 1100 miles”. Of course, the engines also contribute to global warming.
The Commission went on the say that a similar type of ordinance has been adopted in 60 other cities around California, with a Pasadena ordinance being a model for Burbank to look at.
“Pasadena has implemented a two-phase approach: a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers by city employees ten months after the approval of the ordinance and a full ban on the use of gas-powered blowers by anyone in the city beginning one year after approval of the ordinance. The property owner or tenant, whoever is responsible for authorizing the use of a gas-powered leaf blower, would be responsible for violations of the
ordinance.” according to the letter.
“California recently passed AB1346, effective January 1, 2024. AB1346 bans the sale of gas-powered leaf
blowers, lawnmowers, and other small off-road engines. The law, of course, does nothing to address the use of gas-powered landscaping equipment, so it is up to local governments to step up in this regard.”
The letter now goes to the City Council, which can act on it at a later time.
Hopefully this ordinance passes. Apart from the emissions which are terrible, gas leaf-blowers are extremely noisy and disturb the peace of all in the vicinity. They also fill the air with small particulate matter that is breathed in by anyone unfortunate enough to be near them. Try and use a public sidewalk in residential Burbank and you have to play a game of “keep away” to keep from breathing these unhealthy particulates.
Every honest citizen is subsidizing the work of the gardeners, who would rather blow their trash onto someone else’s property than to sweep it up and dispose of it themselves. Why should I have to suffer for the practices of my neighbor’s gardener, who blows dust, leaves, and dirt all over my yard, my car, and my family if we are unfortunate enough to decide to enjoy the outdoors while he or she is working.
I’ll thank the City of Burbank to stay away from my bags, straws, and…. leaf blowers.
I candidly would recommend eliminating all Boards and Commissions. They end up drawing away valuable time from staff including the City Attorney’s staff, increasing our budgets and contributing to high taxes. While this is well-meaning, individuals can reach out directly to manufacturers and fuel makers to express concerns. According to the environmentalists themselves, there are hundreds of very smart people studying the concern of global warming and for decades these individuals have consistently brought forward much evidence that the panic is ill-founded. John Raymond Christy is one such person. Here is one document he authored that deserves reading: https://science.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Christy%20Testimony_1.pdf?1
The City spends far too much time already; dealing with far too many things it has no business dealing with. Rather than pondering leaf blowers, the City leaders should be addressing how to reduce costs, cut taxes and improve basic services to residents.
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