Those of us who remember landline phones may also remember warm-weather days without the sound of leaf blowers off in the distance. In many suburban areas, they have become the soundtrack of the summer, replacing the sounds of birds chirping and bees buzzing with their monotonous, constant, annoying drone.
Fighting Back Against Leaf Blowers
In addition to noise issues, gas-powered leaf blowers emit high levels of pollution – in particular, several types of carcinogens, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxide. The high-decibel noise they generate is considered harmful to hearing (why most operators wear ear protection), and they also generate low-frequency noise that spreads for blocks and can penetrate building walls, increasing stress levels for an entire neighborhood. As a result, hundreds of cities, towns, and HOAs across the country have taken significant steps to limit or even prohibit the use of leaf blowers.
Marlo Greer gives an example in her video on this topic of Crossville, Tennessee, where it’s now against the law (or at least a local ordinance) to use a leaf blower before 8:00 am on weekdays and 9:00 am on weekends. In addition, if you blow your leaves into the street instead of onto your own property (or into leaf bags), you could also be cited for illegal dumping.
Other places have even more restrictive anti-leaf-blowing ordinances. Many cities and towns have prohibited the use of the noisier gas-powered leaf blowers in favor of quieter and less-polluting electric models. And there are even a few towns that have banned all leaf blowers, at least during summer months when people are more likely to have their windows open.
One example of a more restrictive leaf blower ordinance is Larchmont, New York, which allows electric-powered leaf blowers only from March 15 through April 30 (for spring clean-up) and from October 15 to December 15 (for fall clean-up). Leaf blowers of all types are otherwise prohibited unless there is an extreme weather event and the village’s mayor makes a specific exception. There are also daily time limits in place when the blowers can be used, and only property owners can use leaf blowers on Sundays (no landscaping company use is allowed).
Colorado Also Works to Limit Leaf Blowers
The State of Colorado has taken steps to limit its use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The state’s Air Quality Control Commission has adopted a regulation that restricts the use of small hand-held lawn and garden equipment by local municipalities and federal agencies in certain parts of the state from June 1 through August 31 each year. This includes leaf blowers and requires the use of electric-powered equipment in place of that powered by internal combustion engines. And some towns, such as Aspen, ban gas-powered leaf blowers entirely.
The Greer Law Group Can Help if You Have Been Injured by a Leaf Blower
At the Greer Law Group, we find leaf blowers just as annoying as most everybody else. And while we don’t focus our practice on leaf blower ordinance law, we do help clients who have been injured because of the negligence or intentional conduct of others. So if you have been injured by a leaf blower – whether you were using one and it malfunctioned, or someone else was using one and injured you while they were doing so – contact us to learn more about how we can help you recover the compensation you are entitled to for your injuries.
We can be reached at 303-301-6460 or by submitting our online contact form. We’ll schedule a free case evaluation (at a time when the leaf blowers are quiet) to learn more about your case and to explain how the Greer Law Group can help.
META title: Leaf Blower Restrictions | Greer Law Group
Description: Municipalities and states are limiting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.
If you find leaf blowers to be annoying – at least when someone else is using them – you’re not the only one. As Marlo Greer points out in her video on this topic (link in the comments), towns across the country are limiting the times during which leaf blowers can be used. And other towns are going further, banning gas-powered leaf blowers entirely in favor of the quieter electric versions.
At the Greer Law Group, if you’ve been injured by any kind of leaf blower, we can help. Whether your injury was caused by a faulty leaf blower or by someone who was using the leaf blower negligently or intentionally, resulting in your injury, our experienced personal injury attorneys are here to help. Contact us to schedule a free case evaluation.
