Petition for More Restrictions on Excessive Use of Leaf Blowers

          The EPA says noise degrades quality of life by impairing communication and social interaction; reducing the accuracy of work, particularly complex tasks; and creating stressful levels of frustration and aggravation that last even when the noise has ceased. According to the Sunnyvale City Council, excessive noise can cause physical and mental health problems, so a “legitimate public concern is, therefore, to protect residents from excessive noise.” The following is taken from the introduction to Sunnyvale’s Codes and Policies regarding noise:

"Noise is unwanted sound. Sound becomes unwanted when it disrupts the ability to talk, listen, learn, work, relax or sleep...At best, it is a minor irritant. At worst, it causes physical harm such as hearing loss, ulcers, high blood pressure and heart disease. It can also cause tension, frustration, violence and other mental health problems."

          In addition, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Luther Terry states that “excessive noise exposure during pregnancy can influence embryonic development.” Zero Air Pollution Los Angeles (ZAPLA) says that blower use at one residence impacts eight to fourteen others.

          I could not have said it better myself. I have heard nothing but leaf blowers outside my window for nine hours a day almost every weekday for the past few years, beginning as early as 8 AM. I have repeatedly tried to resolve the issue with the management at my complex to no avail, and I have had enough. I cannot enjoy my life or sanity any longer. I refuse to allow this to continue. I know there are many retired folks in the Sunset Oaks community who also do not have the typical 8 AM – 5 PM schedule, and are thus, negatively impacted by the constant noise as well. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to have a baby who needs to take a daytime nap. I do not understand how people can enjoy their homes and backyards for picnics and get-togethers when there are constantly loud machines and workers terrorizing their lawns or their neighbors’ lawns the entire day. It is obnoxious, endless, and hopeless unless we do something about it. Douglas Green, a man who started a petition with 1,300 signatures in Marin County put it best when he said, “It’s like a chainsaw running constantly” or as Janelle Sorenson puts it, “a giant dentist drill.” Imagine being subjected to this horrendous sound relentlessly for nine hours straight almost every day. In addition, leaf blowers are not good for the environment. One hour of use creates as much air pollution as a car driven for 100 miles. The particulate matter swept into the air consists of dust, fecal matter, pesticides, fungi, chemicals, fertilizers, spores, and dirt, which can contain lead and gasoline among other things.

          I would like to request the City of Sunnyvale to reconsider the permitted level of sound decibels (dB) and time limits on leaf blower use. The World Health Organization (WHO) states "there is an increasing predictable risk" of hearing damage from noise above 75 dB. The Sunnyvale Municipal Code also states that daytime noise shall not exceed 75 dB, although I believe that limit was then lowered in 2000 to a maximum of 65 dB, which most (if not all) leaf blowers fail to adhere to. The WHO states that in order to have a healthy environment, daytime noise levels should not exceed 55 dB, while 45 dB is needed to meet sleep criteria. Because each increase in 10 dB is equivalent to being 10 times as loud of a noise, the permitted 65 dB is still 100 times louder than what is required for healthful sleep. According to a manufacturer’s lobbyist, the average leaf blower measures 70-75 dB from 50 feet away; however, the leaf blowers outside my window are less than 2 feet away, and it is rarely the case that leaf blowers are 50 feet away from any person, especially in a close living community like a condo or apartment complex. So, it follows that the new permitted sound level needs to reflect reality and how close people really are to the sound, as well as what is conducive to a healthy environment and sleep.

          Even with restrictions on sound level, there must be time restrictions, because even the noise level of a normal conversation is aggravating if it is excessive, constant, and neither invited by nor within the control of the listener. Leaf blowers should not be used before 10 AM, and complex management should be required to coordinate leaf blower schedules within their complex and with other management in nearby areas, so that one leaf blower is not starting just as another is stopping repeatedly and incessantly for nine hours straight. I would like to request designated times for leaf blower use in general. I think that would be a good compromise in solving the issue of excessive noise. There are currently 20 California cities that have banned leaf blowers altogether, and there has been no evidence of increasing costs or reduced efficiency. Some cities such as Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Los Altos have banned the use of gas-powered blowers, opting for electric blowers instead. They are dramatically quieter than the typical gas blower, notably the Blowhard by Manutech rated at 56 dB. Also, some cities have banned all leaf blowers on holidays, and I agree that holidays should be free of these “machines from hell” as the Los Altos campaign referred to them.

          In 1998, the Department of Water & Power Leafblower Task Force conducted three tests using gas-powered leaf blowers, battery-powered leaf blowers, and a rake and broom used by a 50-year-old woman. The woman cleaned the areas just as fast as the battery-powered leaf blower and almost as fast as the gas-powered leaf blower, and it was found that she did a more efficient cleaning job of the area than both blowers. Perhaps, this is because rakes actually pick up leaves rather them blow them onto someone else’s yard. So, the simple, traditional use of rakes and brooms may surprisingly still be a viable option as well, which means banning leaf blowers may be an option. The bottom line is something needs to change, because this is not working for us.