To the Editor:

It has been tough in Princeton recently, trying to ignore the almost continuous roar of gas leaf blowers, and trying not to think about the large amount of pollution they are emitting into the air. Fortunately, Princeton’s seasonal ban on gas leaf blowers is in effect as of December 16. Use of gas leaf blowers is not allowed again until March 15. That is a relief.

Because of Princeton’s seasonal ban, gas leaf blowers were banned last summer, from May 16 through September 30. During that period, Quiet Princeton received a number of emails from Princeton residents, expressing gratitude for the ban. The residents described their pleasure at being able to eat outdoors and walk around town without being driven indoors by the noise and pollution of gas leaf blowers. People who work indoors but want to keep their windows open also expressed their heartfelt appreciation.

Princeton’s seasonal ban has been a great success. The next step is to move to a year-round ban on gas leaf blowers. More than 100 places in the U.S. have already adopted year-round bans. Among them are Maplewood and Montclair in New Jersey, Larchmont in New York, Burlington in Vermont, Montgomery County and Chevy Chase in Maryland, Washington D.C., and the whole state of California. Some are banning only the use of gas leaf blowers. Others are banning the sale of gas leaf blowers and banning use a year or two after that.

The governing bodies of these places feel comfortable in banning gas leaf blowers year-round because they have concluded that landscapers will not be hurt by the bans and landscape workers will benefit. Commercial electric-powered leaf blowers have improved so much that, with appropriate techniques, they can handle any jobs that require blowing. Leaf blowers used by commercial landscapers wear out in a few years, so landscapers can simply replace worn-out gas leaf blowers with electric ones. Electric leaf blowers cost more than gas leaf blowers initially, but they require much less maintenance and no gasoline. Over time, their cost to landscapers becomes less than the cost of gas leaf blowers. Electric leaf blowers make much less noise than gas leaf blowers and emit no pollution, thus protecting the health of landscape workers.

In addition, fewer landscaping jobs require blowing because of a transformation in the thinking about landscaping. In Princeton, Sustainable Princeton has been doing a fine job of educating property owners to mulch or compost leaves on their own property; to adopt the new aesthetic of “natural-looking” leaf-strewn lawns, rather than artificially perfect leaf-free lawns; and even to replace grass lawns entirely with native plantings.

Let’s build on the success of our seasonal ban and enact a year-round ban on gas leaf blowers in Princeton. If you would like to assist in this effort, email quietprinceton@verizon.net or visit quietprinceton.org to find out how you can help.

Dr. Phyllis Teitelbaum
Co-leader, Quiet Princeton
Hawthorne Avenue