What’s the deal with leaf blowers in Sacramento? These are the rules and environment concerns
Fall is in full swing in Sacramento.
The claw, picking up leaves across Sacramento, has even started making appearances throughout the city. It might be tempting to bring out the leaf blower to help with cleanup.
But before you break it out, here are the Sacramento restrictions and environmental consequences of leaf blowers:
Sacramento leaf blower restrictions
In December 2020, Sacramento instated a city ordinance prohibiting the use of portable electric and gas powered leaf blowers on days that air quality index levels are unhealthy, at or above 101.
This decision was made to help mitigate poor air quality, especially with the uptick in forest fires in Northern California. According to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Sacramento exceeded 100 AQI on average 34.4 days out of the year dating back to 2014.
So what are the city of Sacramento’s rules around leaf blowers?
▪ Gas powered blowers can be used on residential property or within 200 feet of residential property only between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
▪ Gas powered and electric powered leaf blowers can’t be used on days that AQI is above 100.
▪ Leaf blowers are also prohibited within close proximity to residential areas if they exceed decibel levels assigned to the year in which the equipment was bought.
Why are leaf blowers controversial in California?
Although gas-powered leaf blowers are small, they contribute significantly to carbon emissions. According to the California Air Research Board website, one hour of of a commercial gas-powered leaf blower emits as much smog-forming pollution as “driving a new light-duty passenger car about 1100 miles.”
“The volume of smog-forming emissions from this type of equipment has surpassed emissions from light-duty passenger cars and is projected to be nearly twice those of passenger cars by 2031,” said Lynda Lambert, a CARB spokeswoman, in an email to The Bee.
Additionally, gas and electric-powered leaf blowers also create dust emissions. This can aggravate asthma and other upper-respiratory conditions when inhaled.
Other cities in California have also restricted the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. More recently, the the resource board approved the phase out of older small off-road engine equipment, including leaf blowers. This will require most 2024 model year leaf blowers, and later small off-road equipment, to be zero emission.
The amendment would target manufacturers and would impact new equipment, Lambert said.
This story was originally published November 5, 2022 at 12:00 PM with the headline "What’s the deal with leaf blowers in Sacramento? These are the rules and environment concerns."