MAPLEWOOD, N.J. -- The leaf blower ban is back, and it's here to stay.
The Maplewood town council this week unanimously passed an ordinance banning commercial landscapers' use of the gas-powered blowers during the summer months -- a move that cemented a pilot program enacted last year. The new rule, the town's lawmakers said, is meant to decrease noise and environmental pollution in the community.
"It's the intensity of the use. There's no recourse for someone who is affected by it," Maplewood Mayor Victor DeLuca said in a phone interview about the ordinance Thursday.
"We are just trying to keep the calm in town. To keep it quiet. We're talking about the summertime."
The new law bans the commercial use of gas-powered blowers from May 15 to Sept. 30 each year. It does not apply to residents or non-commercial associations.
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