Tredyffrin Considers Phasing Out Gas Leaf Blowers

TREDYFFRIN, PA — Tredyffrin Township is considering restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers.

Tredyffrin's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) has recommended that the township phase out gas leaf blowers, pointing to studies about toxic emissions, noise and health impacts.

One cited source — a study from Edmunds, an online car-buying platform — said a half-hour of gas leaf blower use produced almost 300 times more emissions than a 2011 Ford Raptor pickup truck.

"To equal the hydrocarbon produced by a half-hour of yard work with a blower, you would need to drive the Raptor from Texas to Alaska," EAC Member Kim Tempas said during a presentation at Wednesday's Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors meeting.

The EAC recommended the township phase out gas leaf blowers with hopes to reach a point where they're permanently banned. Enforcement should be treated like code violations, Tempas said.

Main Line towns have discussed gas leaf blower bans. Lower Merion adopted restrictions that went into effect this year, when gas leaf blowing was prohibited from June through September. The window for gas leaf blower use will get shorter until 2029, when the permanent ban takes effect.

Several residents spoke in favor of a phase-out of gas leaf blowers. But Tredyffrin resident David Webster said leaf-blowing is necessary on large, wooded properties like his and raised concerns about the costs of electric blowers.

"I looked at electric," Webster said. "To do the outfit that I have, the current blower, it would be about $3,222 including sales tax for me to replicate and be able to do what I do now."

In Tredyffrin, no specific ordinance restricting gas leaf blowers has been proposed, so nothing is imminent.

Township Supervisor KS Bhaskar (District 3) expressed support for phasing them out, calling the studies on their environmental impacts "eye-opening."

Board of Supervisors Chair David Miller suggested that, before enacting any phase-out, Tredyffrin could try fully switching to electric leaf-blowing at the township's parks and properties and report back about the costs.

"I have a lot of trees on my property, and I have an electric blower that definitely isn’t up to what I need it to do," Miller said. "But I do think we have a way to, as a township, kind of move forward on this without going to a full ban now."

How to view the EAC's presentation on gas leaf blowers:

• The slideshow is available on the supervisors meeting agenda, starting on page 19.
• To watch the presentation, view the meeting video. The presentation begins about 37 minutes in.