Majority of New Cases in Code Compliance Spurred by Leaf Blower Ordinance

Enforcement of the City’s gas leaf blower ordinance has increased the Code Compliance division’s caseload.

“Leaf blower cases have effectively more than doubled the City’s case load since the ban went into effect, the majority of new cases opened by the department are related to use of gas-powered leaf blowers,” according to Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian.

Since the City’s ban on the gross polluting machines, there have been 80 notices but very few citations, according to Derderian.

“We are really trying to gain compliance through education and issue warnings before taking it to the next step,” she said.

Violations of the ban could result in fines of $116 for the first violation, $238 for the second, $599 for the third, and $1,000 for the fourth and subsequent violations.
The City’s ban on gas-powered leaf blowers went into effect on April 28 ahead of a state law banning the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers by the start of 2024 to help achieve 100% zero emissions in California from small off-road engines (SOREs) by 2035.

The ban also makes it illegal to use a leaf blower to cause debris to travel beyond the property boundaries of the parcel on which it is being used, to adjoining properties or public rights-of-way within the city, and to remain there for more than 15 minutes.

Electric-powered leaf blowers may only be used between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. It remains unlawful for leaf blowers to be operated on Sundays and holidays.

Code Compliance responded to leaf blower complaints and conduct a follow-up inspection.

Warning notice with a 30-day compliance period are being issued to the landscape business owner/operator. Continued violations will result in issuance of citations.
As part of SB 170, $27 million was available to sole proprietors and other small landscaping businesses to assist in the purchase of zero-emission SOREs, including leaf-blowing machines, lawnmowers and string trimmers.

California Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) is offering point-of-sale discounts of up to $400 per electric-powered leaf blower for small business and sole-proprietor landscapers.

Visit CaliforniaCore.org for more details and a list of participating dealers.

There is also a rebate of up to 75% off the cost of an electric leaf blower offered by South Coast AQMD via their Commercial Lawn and Garden Equipment exchange program (late March/April rollout). The AQMD rebate can be stacked with the CORE voucher.

Pasadena City Council voted to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in March 2022.

The fine would be levied on the machine operator, despite a staff recommendation that would have placed the onus on property owners that hired the operator of the machine.

Two-stroke engines lack an independent lubrication system so the fuel has to be mixed with oil. It takes about four ounces of oil per every gallon of gas to run the engine, but all of that oil does not combust properly resulting in the release of air pollutants escaping from the engine in large quantities.

If the same type of engine were placed in a car, it would burn a gallon of oil every 1,000 miles. An Edmunds Report found that more carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons were emitted than a high-performance pickup.

As of April, five California cities had banned all leaf blowers. At least 25 other California cities limit their bans to gas-powered leaf blowers. The pickup truck would have to drive 3,000 miles to put the same amount of pollutants in the air.