Home & Garden
Montclair May Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers For Good
The Montclair Town Council advanced an ordinance that would ban the devices year-round. Electric leaf blowers will still be allowed.
MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair already has a local law that bans gas-powered leaf blowers during certain parts of the year. But the devices would be prohibited year-round if a proposed ordinance reaches the finish line.
The Montclair Town Council voted 5-2 to approve Ordinance O-23-31 on first reading at their meeting last week. Read the full ordinance here.
Under the town’s current rules, “internal combustion” leaf blowers are banned from May 15 to Oct. 15. The regulations also limit the times that the devices can be used, and carry a $100 minimum fine for those who don’t comply.
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The proposed ordinance would completely ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers on private and public property in Montclair. It would also increase the minimum fine to $250 for a first offense.
Electric leaf blowers would be allowed throughout the year, except on air quality action days. A maximum of two leaf blowers of any kind would be allowed to be in use at the same time on a property under one acre – except if it’s owned by the township.
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The proposed ordinance is expected to see a public hearing and final vote at the council meeting on Aug. 15. Watch the council speak about it below (video is cued to the discussion and vote).
The debate about leaf blowers has been raging since Montclair first placed restrictions on their use in 1994. Some people claim that bans make for a cleaner environment and less noise pollution, in addition to protecting landscaping workers from inhaling particulates.
But some critics argue that leaf blower bans place an unfair burden on private landscaping companies, who may raise their prices to cope with the additional expense of operating in Montclair.
- See related article: Montclair Remains Divided On Leaf Blower Laws
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