Portland Releases Approved Leaf Blower List

Contact: Ross Caron, Bureau of Development Services 503.823.4268

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(Portland, OR) Today, the City of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services released a list of approved leaf blowers that meet noise levels established in the City’s Noise Code Title 18 for use in the City of Portland. All leaf blowers used for personal and/or commercial activities inside the City limits must be on the certified list of approved leaf blowers.

For the past several years, the Noise Control Program has conducted extensive outreach to leaf blower manufacturers to add their products to the approved leaf blower list. To qualify for the list:

• Leaf blowers must not exceed 65 dBA (decibels) at 50 feet from the devise during the summer months (March 1st – October 31st)
• Leaf blowers must not exceed 70 dBA at 50 feet from the devise during the rainy winter months (November 1st – February 28th), when leaves are likely to be heavy and wet
• Each leaf blower must be certified by a third-party testing laboratory, using American National Standards Institute (ANSI) methodology, ANSI B175.2-2000
• Currently, the list includes electric and gas powered leaf blowers, but does not include battery powered devices.

“This code change was adopted by the City Council in response to concerns expressed by the community about leaf blower noise,” said Paul van Orden, Noise Control Officer for the City of Portland. “It is intended to limit noise levels during the summer months when people are likely to open windows or be outdoors.”

Please note that the general operating restrictions for all leaf blowers prohibit use between the hours of 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM with some limited exceptions.

The Bureau of Development Services will be updating this list annually, or as additional certifications for leaf blowers are received. To view a copy of the approved leaf blower list, visit: http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=45061&a=260377.

If you have questions about the approved leaf blower list, please contact the Noise Control Office at 503-823-7350.