Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Phased Out In Sections Of Chatham Schools

CHATHAM, NJ — The School District of the Chathams' (SDOC) days of using a gas-powered lawnmower are over.

For some areas of the SDOC grounds, the local school district has begun to use electric leaf blowers and hedge trimmers.

Last spring, the New Jersey Education Association awarded Chatham High School a $2000 Sustainable Jersey for Schools grant (NJEA). The funds were used by the Chathams School District to purchase electric leaf blowers and hedge trimmers as part of a pilot program for electric lawn care tools.

A growing number of communities across the country are becoming aware of the health and environmental risks associated with gas-powered lawn care equipment and are moving toward electric equipment.

The electric lawn equipment is intended to reduce both particulate pollution and noise levels in areas near school buildings. The electric equipment, however, is not intended to replace the gas-powered leaf blowers that maintainers will still need to use on larger areas, such as fields and large lawns, but rather on hardscapes, which are typically located near school buildings and thus children.

"The new lawncare equipment is an amazing step for sustainability at the high school! Along with the equipment being cleaner for the environment and our students/staff, the reduced noise makes a major difference in the classrooms," said Isabel Chan, co-president of the CHS Green Team Sustainability Club.

Using electric lawncare equipment in these areas, according to officials, is the first step toward replacing gas-powered equipment where possible and has the greatest direct impact on student health and learning.

According to Victoria Tesoro, co-president of the CHS Green Team Sustainability Club, one of the most significant advantages of using electric equipment is that it doesn't emit carbon while in use since rechargeable batteries power them.

"It's a win-win-win in terms of health, sustainability, and better working and learning environments. For students, there is less noise and air pollution near the school, and the maintainers have commented that the electric blowers were especially useful in blowing off the bleachers, where their lighter weight lessens the burden as they climb through the stand," Shannon Falkner, CHS teacher and co-advisor to the Green Team Sustainability Club, said.

Neighbors across the country have long complained about gas-powered leaf blowers. People complain about the noise, which can cause permanent hearing damage or other hearing issues like tinnitus after only 2 hours of hearing a blower's 65 to 80 decibels at 50 feet away.

Quiet Communities, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the health and environmental impacts of noise and pollution, published this FAQ on the health risks of gas leaf blowers.

"It's really exciting to see our high school do so much to not only promote but actually take sustainable action. It's inspiring, and comes to show how environmentally-friendly practices can be implemented in so many ways," Chan said.