Ban Leaf Blowers in DC

Once autumn takes hold, leaf blower season will be in full bloom.

It's time to ban leaf blowers.

When leaf blowers were first used, fewer people worked at home, and fewer people were disturbed by the 70+ decibel level of most gas-powered leaf blowers. That's 70+ decibels at 50 feet; it's a lot louder when you're walking right by one. When a leaf blower is in action nearby, it's hard, sometimes impossible, to think. Can you imagine a leaf blower being used in an office hallway while people are working? No way would that ever be allowed to happen during work hours.

Leaf blowers destroy the beauty of autumn.

Poll: Should Leaf Blowers Be Banned in DC?

Photo by Hillary

Vote in our poll:

Should leaf blowers be banned in the District of Columbia?

People who support leaf blowers argue that they save time and money.  Opponents of leaf blowers argue that they're noisy, they pollute and they push pollen, dog poop and other debris into neighbors' yards.

Some cities, including Los Angeles, ban leaf blowers with 500 feet of any residence. Other cities, such as Palo Alto, ban just gas-powered leaf blowers. Should the District of Columbia ban all leaf blowers, too?  Or ban the use of leaf blowers within 500 of any residence? Or just the use of gas-powered leaf blowers?

On Monday, All Life Is Local will publish a column calling for a complete ban on leaf blowers in the District of Columbia. In the meantime, you can register your opinion in our poll.