Gas Leaf Blower Ban In Radnor? Proposal To Be Discussed At Town Halls

RADNOR, PA — Radnor Township will hold two town halls next month to discuss a proposed phase-out of gas-powered leaf blowers.

Late last year, Lower Merion Township adopted a plan to restrict and ultimately ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Radnor Township is among the Main Line communities considering similar policies.

"The proposed phase-out would lead to a ban on the use of gas leaf blowers in Radnor Township," local officials said in an advisory.

Radnor officials will hold two town halls to discuss a proposed phase-out in the township. They will take place at 6:30 p.m. on April 7 and April 23 at the Radnor Township Municipal Building (301 Iven Ave.).

Radnor's Environmental Advisory Council will present environmental and health reasons behind the proposal. After the presentation, community members and landscaping companies that operate in the township can make comments and ask questions.

In January, Radnor officials said they were exploring potential restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers. But those discussions were in a very early stage at the time, with local officials intending to hold public discussions on the matter, said Radnor Township Ward 3 Commissioner Catherine Agnew.

"Constituent input is the most important," Agnew said in January. "From those town halls and other research we would, with the help of the township solicitor, craft an ordinance that would come before the board."