INDUSTRY NEWS - Blower Ban Considered in N.C. City

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Landscape contractors in Chapel Hill, N.C., might have to find a new way to pick up leaves, according to The Raleigh News & Observer. Just as autumn begins to thin the canopy, and contractors begin to think about clearing fallen leaves from lawns, along comes Councilman Cam Hill. After suggesting a ban on all leaf blowers three years ago during an offbeat campaign for mayor, the native Chapel Hillian says he now has a serious blower ban proposal for his council colleagues to consider.

 According to Hill, it’s not just the noise. Hill pointed to the noise and air pollution generated by gas-powered leaf blowers as his main reasons for wanting to outlaw them within Chapel Hill town limits. He said that, if not an outright ban, then he might favor some kind of limit on the hours when blowers could be used.

"A leaf blower doesn’t do any real work, in my opinion," he says. "People use them for so many other things, and it just doesn’t work. All it does is move dust from my yard to your yard."

Hill contended there were other ways to deal with leaves and other functions for which people use blowers. "If you’re going to wait for the federal government to clean up the air, we’re going to be waiting for a while," Hill says. "Everybody’s got to do something. This could be one of the ways we could start."

Eight people spoke on Hill’s petition, including local landscapers Brad Williams and Ken Robinson, who were strongly opposed to the idea of banning blowers. Williams said it would have a "drastic economic impact" on his business and others.

Representatives of Mid-Atlantic Stihl and Outdoor Equipment Distributors also spoke against the idea, while residents Dan Coleman, Joe Herzenberg and Diana Steele expressed support. Jane Hudson also backed Hill’s request, on behalf of UNC’s Student Environmental Action Coalition.

Sam Jordan, of Mid-Atlantic Stihl in Hillsborough, described leaf blowers as versatile, thorough, efficient and easy to use, while Mason Farm Road resident Steele called them a "real abomination."

The council almost always agrees to receive petitions and refer them to the town manager, particularly when the request comes from a council member. It’s never a sure thing that a vote in favor would follow. In Chapel Hill, though, politically active environmentalists are encouraging Hill. They see such a move as part of a global responsibility. Even Environmentalist Dan Coleman offered this suggestion to landscape contractors. "The best solution," he says, "is a rake."