There is a bill in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly for gas-powered leaf blowers to be banned, according to WRIC 8 News. The bill is advancing. However, the debate is still going on.
Some Virginians oppose gas-powered leaf blowers
Virginia residents who oppose the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in their communities appeared in front of a House Counties, Cities and Towns Subcommittee on Friday, January 26 to voice their concerns.
Alexandria resident Susan Davis said to the House subcommittee:
“Right now, leaf blowers kind of take over our lives.”
Fairfax County resident Jim Gillespie said to the subcommittee:
“They pose a risk of lung disease to the users, especially to landscaping workers who must use them several hours a day. The two-stroke engines fail to combust 30% of their fuel and emit 23 times the carbon monoxide and 300 times more hydrocarbons per hour than a Ford F-150.”
The subcommittee approved HB 644 which which would allow local governments to pass ordinances to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers if they choose. The ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty.