Quiet Clean NOVA asks Virginia residents to sign this petition to the Members of the Virginia General Assembly, requesting they grant local governments (i.e., counties, cities and towns) the authority to ban or otherwise regulate the use and sale of gas-powered leaf blowers in their communities.

Granting this authority is a first step toward the goal of making our state quieter, cleaner, healthier and more livable for those who reside and work here by protecting them from high-decibel noise and dangerous pollution. 

This petition has been endorsed by Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, EcoAction Arlington, and Friends of Accotink Creek.

Join the movement for quieter, cleaner, healthier communities!

There is a growing national movement to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers (GLBs). Well over a hundred towns, cities, and counties have already enacted regulations either banning or restricting the use of GLBs, including the District of Columbia. Many others are moving in that direction. The time is now for the Virginia General Assembly to allow local governments in our State to join the movement to ban gas powered leaf blowers should they choose to do so!

Virginia residents, please make sure to:

(1) read this petition, (2) sign the petition, (3) forward the link to like-minded friends and (4) let the Virginia General Assembly know how you feel.

WHY BAN GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS?

#1. GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS CREATE DEAFENING NOISE

GLBs emit loud, deep, penetrating noise that disturbs the peace. GLBs typically emit noise ranging from 65 to 90 decibels at a distance of 50 feet away (the industry measurement). Plus, the antiquated design of 2-stroke gas-powered blowers makes their noise unusually penetrating _ walls and windows cannot block it. It’s like second-hand smoke – you can’t escape it. Worse, a worker standing next to a 2-stroke blower is exposed to as much as 115 decibels. Just how disturbing and harmful is it? The World Health Organization (WHO) says any outdoor noise of 55 decibels or greater is disturbing to people. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says noise interferes with speech and is annoying at 55 dBA for outdoors activities and 45 dBA for indoor activities. It is no wonder that so many people complain about GLB noise. The noise from GLBs reduces quality of life in both urban and suburban residential communities as well as in working environments.

But more than quality of life is at stake, as health may suffer too. The WHO and the EPA say noise of 85 decibels or greater can damage hearing. Other potential health consequences from excessive noise documented in medical literature include chronic stress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and impaired cognitive performance in children. Since GLB use is widespread and there is no limit on how many blowers may be operated simultaneously in the same area, many Virginians are exposed to their disturbing and potentially harmful noise. Young children are especially vulnerable, as are those who operate the equipment and are thus closest to the noise.

The adverse effects of noise have economic ramifications. A study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Valuing Quiet: An economic assessment of US environmental noise as a cardiovascular health hazard, (2015) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4819987/) suggests that a 5 decibel reduction in overall environmental noise would reduce the prevalence of hypertension in the U.S. by 1.4 percent and coronary heart disease by 1.8 percent, with projected annual estimated savings of $3.9 billion in hospitalizations and other medical care. As such, it would appear that banning GLBs may constitute a potentially cost-effective preventive health measure, particularly in areas where they are widely used.  

The 'Public Health Menace' of Fall in America = Watch this video from The Atlantic.

#2.  GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS ARE PRODIGIOUS POLLUTERS

Many GLBs use antiquated 2-stroke engines. Invented in the late 19th century, the 2-stroke engine is powered by gasoline plus oil for lubrication. Today’s machines have virtually no emissions controls, spewing known carcinogens. The Edmunds car research firm, working with AAA, found that a consumer-grade gas leaf blower emits 23 times the carbon monoxide and 300 times more hydrocarbons than a 6,200-pound Ford F-150 pickup truck. Similarly, the California Air Resources Board reported that operating a commercial 2-stroke leaf blower for one hour emits more pollution than driving a 2016 Toyota Camry for 1,100 miles. In some parts of the country, lawn and garden equipment like gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers now rival automobiles as the chief source of smog-forming ozone pollution. 

GLBs’ powerful airspeeds (150 mph to 280 mph) blow an estimated 5 pounds of fine particulates per blower per hour from the ground into the air. This blower dust that we breathe in includes what is lying on the ground and in the street _ animal feces, fertilizers & pesticides, fungal spores, pollen, mold, heavy metals, etc. Particulates may stay suspended in the air for a week or longer and are easily inhaled. It’s a toxic brew that can penetrate deep into lung tissue, increasing the risk of respiratory problems, lung cancer, asthma and heart disease.  Even short-term exposure may harm children, seniors, people with chronic illness, and especially landscape workers. 

#3. GLBs RAISE CONCERNS OVER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Commercial landscape crews often consist of low-wage workers from racial and ethnic minority groups. They labor for long hours often over a period of years in close proximity to blowers. Many landscape companies don’t ensure that their workers use protective gear while operating GLBs, leaving them vulnerable to auditory assault and toxic fumes. About 30 percent of the gas-oil mixture in a 2-stroke engine leaf blower goes out unused in the exhaust and becomes aerosol that workers breathe. Among the gasoline components in that exhaust are such carcinogens as benzene, butadiene and formaldehyde. When these chemicals are used in manufacturing, they are regulated by the government and workers must be protected from them. But no one appears to be protecting lawn care workers from toxic exposure. Nor does there appear to be any government effort to protect the hearing of lawn care workers. What will these workers do when down the road they experience hearing loss and even deafness?

Arizona State University’s grounds crews switched from gas-powered to battery-operated blowers that are less noisy and are emission-free in 2020. The university reports that while crews were initially skeptical of the battery-blowers they seem well-satisfied with them now. ASU says the new battery blowers weigh about the same as the gas-powered blowers, but the weight seems more ergonomically distributed and they don’t vibrate like the gas-powered blowers. Also, there is no fuel to leak onto skin, clothing and the ground.

#4. GLBs DISRUPT THE ECOSYSTEM

High levels of noise pollution exert a deleterious effect on wildlife. For example, loud noise interferes in communication between birds, impacting their courtship and production of chicks. This may contribute to the steep decline witnessed in migratory songbird populations. Loud noise also favors predators, as prey lose their ability to hear them.

The high force of air from blowers impacts insects, ground-dwelling or burrowing animals, and vital soil microbes. The invertebrates that are vital to pollination and soil health—essentially the base of the food chain—are particularly affected when leaves are blown away. GLBs destroy the habitat of butterflies, beetles, bees, moths and other creatures that make their homes and lay their eggs in leaves. A 2019 German environment ministry statement says the prevalence of gas-powered leaf blowers is contributing to the current worldwide decline in insects. 

It is common ecological knowledge that leaf litter is the blanket that protects soil communities from drying, heating, and erosion, says noted entomologist and University of Delaware Professor Douglas Tallamy. “There are 70 species of moths and several butterfly species that develop as caterpillars on dead leaves,” Tallamy told Quiet Clean NOVA. “Over 90% of the caterpillars that develop on trees drop from the trees to pupate in leaf litter or the loose soil it protects. So removing leaves from an area definitely hurts insects.”

#5. WHAT ALTERNATIVES EXIST? 

Gas-powered leaf blowers are not the only way to deal with leaves. Battery-powered leaf blowers, rakes, battery-powered mowers that mulch — all of these are quieter, less-polluting methods available to homeowners and professional landscape crews alike. Many gardeners advocate leaving fallen leaves alone or leaving a portion of your yard “natural” to protect pollinators and other vital wildlife.

To view our supporting materials, please visit quietcleannova.wordpress.com.