City Committee Approves Recommendation to Ban Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blowers

Pasadena’s Municipal Services Committee voted unanimously on Monday to approve a recommendation for an ordinance amending the City’s municipal code to prohibit the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowing machines within Pasadena. The recommendation will now be sent to the City Council for a full discussion and vote.

The amended regulation would still allow electric lawn blowers and would explore programs to provide for residential homeowners and tenants, residents who are professional gardeners, and/or non-resident gardeners who operate in Pasadena to purchase electric devices with a rebate.

The amended ordinance would also prohibit the use of all lawn blowers on National Holidays.

If passed by the City Council, Pasadena would join 28 California cities—including Los Angeles and South Pasadena—which have now banned the use of gas-powered blowers.

Five California cities have totally banned any type of leaf blower.

On October 18, City Council referred discussion to prohibit the use of  gas- powered leaf blowers to the Municipal Services Committee and raised a number of questions for staff to investigate further.

According to a City staff report, based on current regulations,  leaf blowers cannot be used in a residential area, or within 500 feet of one before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; or before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. on Saturday; or at any time on Sunday. No more than one leaf blower can be used per property at any one time.

In addition, currently no leaf blower can be used for more than15 minutes per hour on a parcel less than 1?2 acre, or 30 minutes per hour on a parcel greater than 1?2 acre.

Lawn blowers are currently certified annually by the Public Health Department,  and their use is regulated by the City’s Code Enforcement Bureau.

Vice-Mayor  Andy Wilson, along with Councilmembers Jessica Rivas and Felicia Williams discussed the ordinance regarding the use of lawn blowers on hardscapes, such as sidewalks, and asked City staff to explore that aspect of the ordinance before submitting its full report to the City Council.