City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 7, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: MICHAEL MOON, ACTING DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Introduction and First Reading. Consideration of the First Reading of an Ordinance to amend Title 11 Chapter 5: Noise Ordinance, to ban the use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of amendments to the Noise Ordinance to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the City of Alexandria.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Introduce on first reading an ordinance amendment to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers with a two-year phase-out period;
2. Introduce on first reading an ordinance amendment to clarify that the general decibel limitations do not apply to power lawn and garden equipment as those are regulated by hours rather than decibels; and
3. Set the ordinance for public hearing and final passage on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
BACKGROUND: During the January 28, 2025, Legislative session, the City Council directed staff to move forward with the initiative to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the City. Key elements of the discussion included consideration of a total ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, providing a multi-year phase-out period, developing and implementing a community outreach plan, a timeline for the implementation, and proposed ordinance revisions to capture the changes. The purpose of the proposed ban is to eliminate unnecessary noise generated by gas-powered leaf blowers and to protect the environment by eliminating exhaust associated with the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.
Community outreach to date has included staff hosting two hybrid public information sessions on Thursday, March 13, 2025, and Wednesday, March 26, 2025, to provide information and gather community input on the proposal. Staff also called and/or emailed residents, landscape companies and HOAs/Civic Associations, provided information on the Noise Control webpage, sent out an eNews, and distributed a comment card to collect feedback from the community.
DISCUSSION: Consistent with the City’s authority to compel the abatement of unnecessary noise and to preserve safety, health, peace, and good order under City Charter section 2.04, the City has the authority to ban gas-powered leaf blowers, as confirmed in an advisory opinion by the Virginia Attorney General. The availability of battery-powered leaf blowers as an alternative to the louder gas-powered leaf blowers will aid in the elimination of unnecessary noise from and will help preserve the safety, health, peace and good order of the community by reducing unnecessary noise and improving the community’s health by protecting air quality from emissions.
Various reports and studies have highlighted the negative impact of gas-powered leaf blowers on noise levels and the environment. According to the Borough of Mantoloking, New Jersey’s Environmental Commission’s website, the Commission identified the typical decibel range of 70 - 115 dB for gas-powered leaf blowers compared to electric models that range between 65 - 70 dB, and that newer electric models are as low as 59dB. A study by the Conservation Advisory Commission cited a technical memo by Arup, an acoustics consulting firm, that compared commonly used gas-powered and electric leaf blowers to determine which has more noise impact. (Mitigating the Health, Environmental, and Quality of Life Impacts of Gas Leaf Blower, 2020). The study found that gas leaf blowers have significantly more noise impact, even when the decibel levels are the same as an electric leaf blower. This is due to characteristics of the deep rumbling noise emitted by gas engines. Such low frequency noise travels farther and can penetrate homes. This results in noise that cannot be easily mitigated. Given the availability of non-gas-powered leaf blowers, the noise from the gas-powered leaf blowers is unnecessary.
On the issue of environmental impact, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 study concluded that air pollution emissions from gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment were a major portion of the U.S. non-road gasoline emissions, and that two-stroke engines, including leaf blowers, are a significant source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and criterial air pollutants (National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment, Banks & McConnell, 2015). According to modeling by the California Air Resources Board, a commercial gas-powered leaf blower operating for one hour emits smog-forming pollution comparable to driving a new light-duty passenger car about 15 hours or 1,100 miles, or about the distance from Washington D.C. to Miami (SORE Fact Sheet, December 2021). Additionally, the California Air Resources Board conducted a study where preliminary findings indicated elevated exposure to criteria and toxic air pollutants for those operating gas-powered lawn and garden equipment when compared to electric equipment (October 2018).
If adopted, enforcement of the ban will be directed towards landscape companies doing work on property where gas-powered leaf blowers are being used, along with property owners who employ landscape companies that violate the gas-powered leaf blower prohibition. If the use is by the property owner, then the property owner would be subject to enforcement.
Staff received public comments from residents, civic organizations, commissions, property managers, and landscape companies that showed consistent concerns and feedback from each group. The majority of the City’s residents, civic organizations, and commissions that provided feedback were in strong support of a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, with a one-year or less phase-out period. Property managers’ and landscape companies’ overarching concerns included operational costs (concerns that the work would take longer and require more workers), technology (reduced blowing power and shortened time due to battery life), upfront costs for transition, and having sufficient charging infrastructure. To help provide more time to soften the fiscal impacts and allow for a transition period for the community and landscape companies, staff are recommending that the ban includes a two-year phase-out period, with the ordinance becoming effective July 1, 2027.
Additionally, staff coordinated two landscape equipment demonstrations on Monday, April 28, 2025, and Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Staff, along with six landscape businesses attended to discuss equipment specifications with six different vendors to understand what is available on the market and best meets their needs. There was also a discussion on the use of equipment from vendors to better determine the best options for staff based on work tasks, equipment specifications, and ease of operation. Based on the feedback, there may also be a significant financial impact to lawn and garden companies as they transition their equipment to battery powered leaf blowers. Based on the feedback received, the cost range for landscape companies to transition to electric leaf blowers is approximately $8,000 for a small company (< 5 employees), $10,000 - $55,700 for a medium sized business (5 - 15 employees), and $80,000 - $100,000 for a large business (> 15 employees). Given the anticipated fiscal impact to property owners and landscape companies, Staff is researching whether it is possible and feasible for the City to offer incentives and rebate programs to help offset the financial impacts. To possibly minimize the need for incentives and provide more transition time for companies to comply, a two-year phase out period is recommended.
Finally, this legislation includes an ordinance amendment which makes it clear that the decibel limitations expressed in Table III of Code § 11-5-5(a)(3) do not apply to power lawn and garden equipment, which is separately regulated in Table II of Code § 11-5-4.1(16). It has been the City’s longstanding practice, supported by existing law, that power lawn and garden equipment are not regulated pursuant to the City’s decibel limits in Table III because they are separately regulated.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed ordinance revisions would require replacement of the City’s gas-powered leaf blowers used by the Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities, Transportation & Environmental Services, and General Services, which is estimated to cost about $75,000 total. This funding is included in the adopted FY2026 Budget. Additionally, the approved FY 2026 budget includes about $130,000/year for the addition of a new inspector to assist in enforcement of this regulation as well as other noise and environmental concerns.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance Cover
2. Ordinance
3. Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, P.E., Deputy City Manager
Cheran Ivery, City Attorney
Lindsay Dubin, Assistant City Attorney
Jesse E. Maines, Stormwater Management Division Chief, T&ES
Melissa Atwood, Senior Environmental Specialist, T&ES
Ryan Freed, Climate Action Officer, OCA