RICHMOND, Va. — As temperatures reached fall-like levels on Friday, Virginia lawmakers took up a bill that would give localities the power to regulate or ban gas-powered leaf blowers.
“In any of your particular jurisdictions it may never happen,” Del. Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr. (D – Fairfax County) said. “But,there are some jurisdictions out there that are interested in exploring.”
Several cities around the country have already banned their use and a statewide ban on the sale of them went into effect in January in California .
Sullivan, the bill’s sponsor, said electric options have been making strides to match or exceed the power of gas blowers. He believes localities should have that option.
“Leaf blowers, at least in some people’s view, are bad for the environment. As probably every one of you on the dais knows, they’re awfully loud and in confined spaces can be annoying,” Sullivan said. “I doubt very much any locality is going to say ‘Next Thursday, everyone here has to switch to electric.’ More likely they will have all sorts of options like phasing something in over 10 years, exempting, perhaps, certain businesses if it comes to this.”