Portland City Council voted Wednesday to phase out the use of all gas-powered leaf blowers by 2028. The vote comes after years of debate among environmentalists, public health experts, and business owners.
Gas-powered leaf blowers emit both air and noise pollution, endangering the health of people nearby. The ban applies to public and private property.
A gardener uses a leaf blower to clear leaves at a home in Sacramento, Calif., in this Oct. 13, 2021 file photo. The sale of gas-powered leaf blowers had been a controversial issue in California in recent years until a law passed last year that outlawed such sales in the state beginning this July.
Rich Pedroncelli / AP
Commissioner Carmen Rubio brought the proposal forward and said it would make the city a “healthier and cleaner place to live.”
“Gas leaf blowers emit toxic pollutants, particulate matter, and noise that creates negative health impacts for people nearby,” Rubio said in a statement. She credited Nick Fish, the former Commissioner who died of cancer in 2020, for advocating for the policy years ago.
Landscaping professionals argue that electric leaf blowers are still far more expensive than gas-powered devices, and say the ban will impact lower-income workers who are predominately people of color.
Portland will create new incentives to offset costs for small landscaping businesses that may be impacted by the change.
Under the policy, using gas-powered leaf blowers will be prohibited in 2026, except during the fall and winter. That exception is because by 2028, gas blowers will be banned completely. Those who violate the policy will face a fine of up to $1,000.