WASHINGTON — Fall of 2024 comes with expanded local bans against gas-powered leaf blowers and enforcement that has included hundreds of citations written in the District of Columbia since 2021.
A ban on the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers went into effect in Montgomery County on July 1, as the county phases in a total ban on use of the noisy, carbon-spewing machines by July 1, 2025.
Takoma Park's town government is mirroring the Montgomery County ban.
Other jurisdictions with bans include Washington D.C. (banned for use and for sale since 2018); Chevy Chase Maryland and the nearby community of Somerset (banned for use since 2022); University Park in Prince George's County (banned since 2023); and Hyattsville (banned in 2022).
Leaf blower ban fever has now spread to Baltimore, where the city council appears poised to pass a ban in the coming weeks.
ENFORCEMENT
DC’s Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection reports that 1,379 complaints have come in about ban violators since the beginning of 2022, resulting in 263 citations issued with fines of up to $500 per offense. Enforcement is triggered by complaints made through DC's 3-1-1 system or through an online form.
In Somerset, town officials report they have issued at least 103 warnings since the tiny municipality's ban went into effect in 2022. No citations or fines have been issued. Most of the warnings went to commercial landscape contractors who needed to be educated about the new ban and who are now cooperating, according to the town's manager.
Montgomery County has not needed to issue any formal warnings or citations against retailers who are now prohibited from selling leaf blowers, according to Jon Monger, the director of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. Monger said the focus is on educating the public about the changes as the countywide ban expands July 1, 2025 from selling blowers to using them.
REBATES
To ease the transition from gasoline engine blowers to battery devices, Montgomery County, Maryland is offering a $100 rebate for residents who purchase a new battery operated blower. The county is offering up to $1,500 for contractors making the switch.
In the District of Columbia, a $75 rebate for switching to certain battery operated lawn equipment remains in effect, but the deadline for applications is rapidly approaching on Sept. 30, 2024.
University Park Maryland also offers rebates.
FAILED BAN EFFORTS
Other communities in the region have tried and failed to implement bans.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland dropped the idea in 2024 after fierce resistance from landscape contractors.
In Virginia, the 2024 legislature pushed consideration of a bill that would have given local governments the power to implement bans to next year.
WHY BANS?
Leaf blowers pump out up to 100 decibels of ear splitting sound and noxious air emissions that are dirtier than a high performance pick up truck or SUV being driven hundreds of miles, according to numerous studies.
The emissions data is a surprise to a lot of people, considering the small size of a leaf-blower’s noisy 2-stroke engine. But these machines burn a mix of gas and oil that is remarkably dirty.