The Montgomery County Council will review Expedited Bill 19-25 on Monday, July 28, which proposes a seasonal exemption allowing landscape professionals to use gas-powered leaf blowers from October 1 to December 31, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the exemption set to expire three years after enactment. The lead sponsor of Bill 19-25 is Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, with Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Marilyn Balcombe and Sidney Katz as cosponsors.
Montgomery County passed legislation in 2024 to address environmental, noise, and health concerns related to gas-powered leaf blowers and vacuums. Sales of gas-powered equipment have been banned since July 1, 2024, and the ban on their use begins on Tuesday July 1, 2025.
The law prohibits the use of handheld, backpack, and walk-behind gas-powered leaf removal equipment on private and commercial property, as well as by local and county government. It does not apply to Montgomery County Public Schools or Montgomery Parks, which are managed by the state of Maryland…