RICHMOND, Va. -- As temperatures reached fall-like levels on Friday, Virginia lawmakers took up a bill that would give localities the power to regulate or ban gas-powered leaf blowers.
"In any of your particular jurisdictions it may never happen," Del. Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. (D - Fairfax County) said. "But,there are some jurisdictions out there that are interested in exploring."
Several cities around the country have already banned their use and a statewide ban on the sale of them went into effect in January in California.
Sullivan, the bill's sponsor, said electric options have been making strides to match or exceed the power of gas blowers. He believes localities should have that option.
"Leaf blowers, at least in some people's view, are bad for the environment. As probably every one of you on the dais knows, they're awfully loud and in confined spaces can be annoying," Sullivan said. "I doubt very much any locality is going to say 'Next Thursday, everyone here has to switch to electric.' More likely they will have all sorts of options like phasing something in over 10 years, exempting, perhaps, certain businesses if it comes to this."
The majority of comments in the meeting were in favor of the bill and referenced noise pollution.
"So you can't get away from it," Susan Davis said. "And the only thing we wish to do is regulate this. So that we can have peace of mind. We can have some pure air and not be disturbed constantly by the noise of like 1960 cars, sitting out idling and gassing in front of our house for hours at a time."
But pollution in the more traditional sense was also mentioned.
"The majority of gas-powered leaf blowers have two stroke gasoline engines," Jim Gillespie, who also spoke in support of the bill, said. " That's a very old and inefficient technology that produces a variety of pollutants and other hazards hazardous emissions."
Those opposed to the bill expressed concern about the battery life of electric blowers.
"Folks in larger lot size, it would take several hours or days and we'd have got to be cognizant of the lawn man maintenance companies," Del. Scott Wyatt (R - Hanover County) said. "And those folks that do that for living in the area and even folks that have larger lot size."
Robb Bohannon, a lobbyist with the Virginia Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, said fairways average 150 acres.
"What they've told me is, give us something that works just as good, we're happy to use it," Bohannon said. "They use a variety of techniques, obviously, to keep the courses clear. A lot of localities have noise ordinances too that they can regulate this."
Sullivan said whatever the arguments are for or against, cities and counties should be allowed to have them.
"It's a baby step certainly for us here in Richmond," Sullivan said. "Might create some bigger steps in localities, but that's what they get paid for."
The bill in the house cleared the subcommittee by a 5-3 vote. There is a companion bill in the Senate, but it has yet to be heard.
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