Beverley Square West Association

From Abigail Hunter re: Gas Leafblowers

Aug 03, 2008

Dear Neighbors,
I have brought the issue of gasoline powered leaf blower (gplb) usage in our neighborhood to your attention for two reasons, (1) to raise awareness about the negative impact of gplb and (2) to start a dialogue with our neighborhood lawn care services to assess the possibility of abandoning the use of gplb.
Following are a list of the dangers associated with gplb. This information was gleaned from ?“Leaf Blower Pollution Hazards in Orange County?” and other reports. I am happy to e-mail these reports to anyone who is interested.
?• Air Pollution. Toxic exhaust fumes and emissions are created by gplb. Exhaust pollution per leaf blower, per hour, is the equivalent of the amount of smog from 17 cars driven one hour and is localized in the area of the blower usage. Another report states that a gplb generates as much tailpipe emissions in one hour as an automobile does over 350 miles. The difference is that a car emits all that pollution over a big stretch of road, while a leaf blower deposits it all on one back or front yard.
?• Noise Pollution. Gplb noise is a danger to the health of the blower operator and an annoyance to non-consenting citizens in the area of usage. The noise level of commonly used leaf blowers is between 93-111 decibels. Local law 113, Section 24-202 states that lawn care devices ?“at any time in such a way should not create an unreasonable noise. For the purposes of this section, unreasonable noise shall include but shall not be limited to an aggregate sound level of 75 decibels or more?”. Cal OSHA allows only 20 minutes of aggregate daily exposure to a noise level over 100 decibels, while most gardeners run their gplb at 93-111 decibels for most of the day.
?•Dangerous Chemicals. The high velocity air jets used in blowing leaves whip up dust and pollutants. The particulate mater (PM) swept into the air by blowing leaves is composed of dust, fecal matter, pesticides, fungi, chemicals, fertilizers, spores, and street dirt which consists of lead and organic and elemental carbon. About five pounds of PM per leaf blower per house are swept into the air and take hours to settle. Spewing allergens in the air is of extra concern for children whose lungs are developing and people with respiratory illness, such as asthma.
?• Quality of Life. Night workers who sleep during the day, retired persons, students who need quiet time to write or study, pregnant and new mothers and people who telecommute all need to minimize the loud noises which increasingly assail them during day time hours.
If this is something you would like to work on, especially if you are a consumer of a local lawn care agency, please contact me to discuss the next steps.
Sincerely, Abigail Hunter (Your BSW Neighbor) 718-693-5486