Huntington, a town on Long Island, New York, joins the nationwide trend of potentially banning gas-powered leaf blowers.
As Newsday reported, an advocacy group called Huntington Clean Alternative Landscaping Methods (CALM) lobbied the town board to outlaw the air- and noise-polluting pieces of landscaping equipment.
The matter escalated to a public hearing to discuss banning the devices for homeowners and landscaping companies. The proposed ban would apply to specific days, times, and parts of the year, including weekends and holidays.
"We've been talking about a ban for several years, and I think it's time to set a timetable where residents and commercial landscapers can find alternatives," town supervisor Ed Smyth said.
Huntington's move against gas-powered leaf blowers follows the example of Greenport Village, which approved a ban earlier this year that will take effect in December, per Newsday. At least partial bans already exist in North Hempstead, Garden City, Roslyn, Flower Hill, Sea Cliff, and Great Neck Estates.
Lawmakers across the country are having similar debates about the machines, even at the statewide level in nearby New Jersey.
It is becoming public knowledge and widely accepted how damaging these machines are for the environment and public health.
Gas-powered versions release as much planet-overheating pollution over just one hour as a 1,100-mile drive. Moreover, many people experience noise sensitivity that is triggered by leaf blowers and suffer from unnecessary anxiety because of them.
Meanwhile, electric leaf blowers are effective, pollution-free alternatives that make yardwork a breeze without the risk of breathing in toxic fumes.
Electric leaf blowers are also typically much quieter than gas-powered ones, reducing the noise burden on your neighbors. They also tend to be more affordable than gas-powered leaf blowers in the long run — as they don't require expensive fuel to operate.
Bonnie Sager, a co-founder of Huntington CALM, commented on electric leaf blowers, telling Newsday, "Nothing is perfect, but it's a far superior method of cleaning leaves or debris."
In a Newsday post to X, formerly known as Twitter, one person commented, "Battery-powered is pretty cool."
Another X user wrote, "BAN THEM!!!!! Gas leaf blowers HAVE to go!!!!!"
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