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The Beach Reporter,
Manhattan Beach, California

News Summary:

The Manhattan Beach reporter states that residents are lobbying the city of Manhattan Beach to consider a leafblower ban.

More than 20 California cities have already banned or restricted leafblowers, including communities close in proximity to Manhattan Beach. Total or partial bans limit or prohibit the use of gas or electric leafblowers to certain times of the year or day. Most ordinances carry fines, and manufacturers have strongly contested these ordinances.

Manhattan Beach residents are pushing to extend the partial ban in their own town. At this time, the city's noise ordinance limits the hours of operation of gas-powered leaf blowers between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ordinance does not address electric-powered leaf blowers.

A preliminary meeting revealed that a majority of Manhattan Beach city council members support the idea of a ban. Yet, council members did not agree as to whether the resulting law should ban all leafblowers or gas-powered blowers.

Tim Lilligren is one council member who does not support a leafblower ban. Lilligren states, "I don't see justification for the arguments against leaf blowers," he said. "There's a lot of things that need to be done in the city; sometimes noise has to be made."

Mayor Jack Cunningham is undecided as to whether he would support a ban, although he is inclined to agree with ban supporters.

One hundred Manhattan Beach residents have signed a petition asking the City Council to enact a leafblower ban. Residents object to the noise and air pollution casued by leafblowers, especially gas-powered blowers. Eight residents have testified before the city council to call attention to these issues.

The council requested city staff to do more research and gather more information about gas powered and electric leaf blowers, as well as to produce a draft ordinance to ban leaf blowers.

The City Council requested that the city staff prepare its report in time for the public hearing, to occur at the first September council meeting.


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