Baltimore City leaders consider gas-powered leaf blower ban

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore City Council will vote Monday on a bill that would ban gas-powered leaf blowers in the city.

Councilmember Ryan Dorsey, who introduced the bill, said it follows a national trend of addressing pollution.

"They kind of half-burn dirty fuel and spew the unburnt portion back into the atmosphere for us to breathe," Dorsey said.

The law would apply to residents, private contractors and city workers.

"Everybody wants to live in a place with clean air, etc, but it doesn't seem like that's high on the list of priorities for a city like Baltimore," said Baltimore resident Robert Spencer.

Anne Arundel County proposal withdrawn

A similar proposal on banning gas-powered leaf blowers was introduced in Anne Arundel County in July, with councilmember Lisa Rodvien citing nuisance in neighborhoods, health harms to humans and environmental harms.

"This is a problem," Rodvien said. "Four to 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from gas-powered lawn equipment. These are very high emissions devices."

Violators would have incurred a $50 fine and civil citation, however, Rodvien withdrew the bill on Tuesday after receiving mixed feedback from the community and business owners.

"You're going to be asking small businesses to reinvest," said John, an Anne Arundel County resident. "So everything they've invested in already with that equipment now becomes illegal?"

Rodvien may be back to the drawing board but said she hopes to bring forward legislation in the future to address concerns about gas-powered leaf blowers.

Gas-powered leaf blower ban in Annapolis

The city of Annapolis passed a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers last February. That law goes into effect on December 30.