Gas-powered leaf blowers could soon meet their downfall in Arlington.
The County Board is considering a possible ban on the controversial contraptions, which local environmental advocates have criticized for their loud noise levels and low fuel efficiency.
Following a similar ban that the Alexandria City Council approved earlier this year, Arlington County staff have announced plans for a public engagement sweep over the next few months. A public demonstration, in-person pop-ups and a webinar on the future of electric leaf blowers are all scheduled for this fall.
“This has been a priority for several of us and for many, many in the community — because I’m the one that gets to respond to all the letters we’ve received,” County Board member Susan Cunningham said at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
The Sierra Club’s Potomac River Group, EcoAction Arlington and the Arlington hub of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions sent one such letter in June. Pointing to similar policy changes in D.C., Montgomery County and several other local jurisdictions, the advocacy groups called for a phased-in ban to reduce pollution and make neighborhoods less noisy.
“GLBs [gas-powered leaf blowers] have long been a serious noise, worker health, public health, climate change and environmental concern in Arlington,” the organizations wrote. “Arlington’s authority to regulate noise is undisputed and the uniquely harmful nature of GLB noise is now well-documented.”
County staff didn’t blow off such claims. In a presentation to the Board, Assistant County Manager for Climate Policy Jennifer Fioretti said that using one kind of gas-powered leaf blower for just one hour results in the same amount of emissions as a drive from D.C. to Miami.
“Some of the potential policy considerations include noise produced by gas-powered leaf blowers, which may impact quality of life, may harm hearing and disrupt wildlife, as well as other health and environmental risks related to pollutants,” Fioretti said.
In addition to speaking with members of the public, county staff are directly contacting Arlington’s garden and lawn companies to receive their input. Fioretti acknowledged likely “up-front costs” for businesses in particular.
On the other hand, advocates pointed out that savings on fuel and maintenance mean that electric leaf blowers can become cash-positive after a couple years.
A possible ban on gas-powered leaf blowers has long been a contentious topic in Arlington. Back in 2021, an opinion piece on the matter was ARLnow’s second most-read story of the year.
Public opinion appeared to be split, at the time. In an informal ARLnow poll in December 2021, only 44% of over 3,000 respondents supported outlawing the blowers.
In response to the question, “Should Arlington ban gas-powered leaf blowers, if it could?”, 38% of respondents said “no” and 18% said “probably not, but I still don’t like gas-powered leaf blowers.”
Following public engagement, commission presentations on this topic are currently scheduled for fall and winter of this year ahead of a County Board vote.
In the meantime, Chair Takis Karantonis provided an “annual reminder” about another highly cost-effective alternative.
“Prepare for the ultimate substitution of gas-powered leaf blowers: the common and humble rake,” he said.
This article has been corrected to reflect that Fioretti was describing the amount of emissions that gas-powered leaf blowers produce, not the amount of gasoline they use.
