In spite of recommendations from the green industry, the town council of Palm Beach, FL, has passed a ban on noisy gas-powered leaf blowers despite landscapers’ warnings that the prohibition is a mistake.
The ban applies to all properties smaller than an acre. The larger properties, many of which are multi-residential buildings, have said they need the more efficient gas-powered blowers and that noise complaints haven’t been a problem for them.
On Thursday, several representatives of lawn maintenance companies urged the council to step up enforcement of its noise ordinance instead of the ban, which they said will force the companies to invest in battery-powered or electrical blowers.
Kirk Carlson of Armstrong Landscape Group said field testing of 36 battery-powered blowers showed only 10 were below the town’s 65 decibel noise limit.
“If we go battery-powered, who is going to enforce the decibel limit, because 26 are over the 65,” he said.
Electric blowers aren’t safe in Palm Beach because of the risk of shock or electrocution because of the abundance of swimming pools, according to Scott Lewis of Scott Lewis’ Gardening and Trimming.
Because the batteries can only power a blow 40 to 70 minutes, spare batteries are needed. Carlson said that creates a safety problem. “These lithium ion batteries we are putting in our trucks. If they get punctured, they burn at 2,100 degrees. … We need multiple batteries.”
Council members and Mayor Gail Coniglio have said it’s not practical for the town’s two code enforcement officers to effectively enforce the 65-decibel limit. Often the offending blower has been put away by the time a code officer responds to a noise complaint.
Mitchell Taylor of Mitchell Taylor Lawn said the ban will hurt small businesses.
“I don’t have the budget to go out and buy all these batteries and blowers,” he said.
More on the ban here.
