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One hour of leaf blowing is the equivalent to driving a car for 1,100 miles and the cumulative volume of small off-road engines pollution is greater than passenger vehicles.
San Mateo may soon ban gas leaf blowers, following the footsteps of several Peninsula cities, including Menlo Park and Burlingame.
State law currently requires small off-road equipment, such as leaf blowers and lawn mowers, to be zero-emission if they are a 2024 or later model, but the policy doesn’t apply to older equipment.
While San Mateo’s current policy allows older gas leaf blowers, it provides incentives for landscapers and property owners to switch to electric models. Since 2021, the city has provided about 100 rebates to businesses and residents, spending an average of $3,276 per year, according to a staff report. Despite the push, the report added that “landscaping businesses identified battery life and equipment performance as the leading barriers to using electric equipment.”
The city’s current ordinance also requires that in residential districts — and areas bordering those districts — leaf blowers operate only between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, with their use prohibited on Sundays. During a Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission meeting, commissioners also contemplated expanding the hours of operation citywide, though ultimately supported keeping the current zone restrictions. That means commercial zones, such as the downtown corridor, are able to use the leaf blowers earlier and later in the day.
Commission Chair Kimi Narita said the additional noise, including from leaf blowers, is an inherent tradeoff when living in a downtown neighborhood.
“One living in the downtown area gets so many other benefits from living in the downtown area. One of the expected consequences, I think, is a higher level of noise pollution,” Narita said.
If the City Council accepts the commissioners’ recommendations, enforcement would likely start nine months after the ordinance’s passage, with multiple warnings issued prior to citations, which would start at $100 and go up to $500 per violation.
Vice Chair Sigalle Michael said the switch to electric should also help with noise concerns for those in residential and commercial zones.
“Even though it may not happen overnight, these electric leaf blowers are much quieter, so hopefully the noise impacts won’t be as significant as they transition,” Michael said.
According to recommendations from the commission, property owners could also receive citations in addition to businesses.
The City Council will discuss the potential ban in October.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
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(1) comment
So the same people who are against Trump deporting illegal immigrants are OK with taking away the livelihoods of a significant portion of the immigrant community? In addition they are by restricting operating hours they are limiting the ability of workers to make money. If you have kids you are not going to be able to start work before 830 or 9am and may have afternoon pick up. I am not sure how someone is supposed to earn a decent living on a 5-6 hour work day. Landscapers are very busy people who probably have no idea about what is being proposed.
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