The Ann Arbor Police Department is reminding residents that gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in the city from June until the end of September, with violation fees starting at $100.
In December 2023, the Ann Arbor City Council unanimously voted to enact a new citywide requirement to phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers by 2028 in hopes of reducing emissions, reducing noise and cutting down on refueling spills, according to the city’s website.
Between June 1 and Sept. 30, civil fines for using a gas-powered leaf blower start at $100, according to the city’s website. A subsequent offence will bring a fine of at least $250, with fines issued to individuals who violate the ordinance or employers who permit or direct an individual to violate the ordinance.
Violations of the ordinance can be reported to Ann Arbor Police Department Community Standards at 734-794-6942, according to a June 1 post by the police department.
The ban on gas leaf blowers has not come without sparking debates on Facebook. One post from June 1 with over 500 likes includes an image of a leaf blower under a star with the words “come and take it,” inspired by the flag flown during the Texas Revolution, featuring a cannon. People opposed the ban in the comments for reasons including the cost of buying a new leaf blower and the potential for needing a gas-powered generator to charge on a job site.
Why are gas leaf blowers banned in Ann Arbor?
Ann Arbor is phasing out the blowers as exposure to the pollutants they release, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde, and fine particulate pollution, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment and respiratory disease, according to the city.
The leaf blowers can operate as loud as 100 decibels, which is about as loud as a jet flyover at a sporting event. The high volume can cause hearing damage and stress from noise.
According to the city’s website, spills are common when refueling gas-powered leaf blowers. Fuel spills seep into the soil and can enter groundwater and waterways.
Impact on landscapers
Matthew Duncanson owns Dunks Landscaping, based in South Lyon, which sometimes services Ann Arbor and locations within 30 miles of there. From yard clean up to mulching, almost every service Duncanson provides uses a leaf blower, he said, even in the summer and early fall when Ann Arbor has the gas leaf blowers banned.
Duncanson said he has two RedMax 9000 backpack leaf blowers and uses about five gallons of gas each week combined for his leaf blowers, weed whippers, and other tools. He estimated that if he were to use an electric leaf blower, he would have to have 10-15 charged batteries to get through one 10-hour day.
Duncanson said he does not plan to swap out his equipment and is considering not servicing Ann Arbor anymore. He said he would also consider requiring customers in Ann Arbor to pay a $250 deposit that would go towards paying the fine if he were to receive one on the job and returned if not.
Duncanson said he laughed when he first saw a post about the leaf blower ban.
“It’s funny because it doesn’t affect me,” he said. “I’m not going to give up my gas blower. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Alternatives to gas-powered leaf blowers
A regular electric leaf blower costs about $300 from Ace Hardware. An electric commercial leaf blower battery and charger kit can cost almost $1,500 from Ace Hardware.
The city recommends skipping leaf blowers altogether and leaving leaves on lawns or sweeping them with a broom or rake. The city has also previously offered rebates for rakes and electric leaf blowers.
Is this new?
In 2023, Ann Arbor became one of the first places in Michigan to pass an ordinance to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers. Officially banning leaf blowers is new to Michigan, but cities in California began banning the leaf blowers as early as 1975 just years after they were invented in Japan.
Birmingham has also discussed banning gas-powered leaf blowers. The Holland Board of Public Works, Lansing Board of Water and Light, the Presque Isle Electric and Gas Co-op and Great Lakes Energy offer rebates for the purchase of certain electric home and lawn equipment.
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in Ann Arbor
Reporting by Natalie Davies, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Natalie Davies, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
