Updated April 9
Voters in Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and West Tisbury all passed a phased-in ban of gas-powered leaf blowers at their respective town meetings on Tuesday night, starting what could eventually become an Island-wide ban.
The deciding vote was closest in Oak Bluffs, where the tally came out 98 in favor and 79 against. West Tisbury was overwhelmingly supportive of the measure, so much so that no hand vote was required. And Edgartown voted 197 in favor and 42 against. Chilmark and Tisbury will vote on similar measures in the coming weeks.
On Tuesday evening at all three meetings, landscapers and small businesses pushed back against the proposal, voicing concern about the upfront costs of switching to electric blowers and worry that battery-powered technology hasn’t caught up with gas blowers yet; police also questioned using their already minimal resources to enforce the new rules.
But residents tired of what many called the constant background noise of blowers won the day. Aside from the nuisance, there were also concerns voiced for the environment around leaf blowers’ emitting pollutants, and blowing away not only leaves but healthy particles; others voiced concern for landscapers constantly breathing in fuel exhaust.
Advocates and organizers of the measure say they are grateful for the voters in all three towns after Tuesday night.
“Shout-out to democracy,” said Zada Clarke, director of advocacy and community organizing at the Vineyard Conservation Society, which helped towns craft the proposal. “This bylaw was created and voted on by the community. At a time when federal environmental protections are being stripped left and right, this is a good reminder that we can work together to create local change and solutions to work toward a healthier future for all.”
The bylaw will not take effect immediately. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office will have to approve the rules, as with any new bylaw.
Under the bylaws approved, the use of gas-powered blowers will be phased out in three years, requiring the use of battery-powered blowers instead. There are also time-of-day and -year restrictions, with slight differences among towns, with blowers permitted for use only between 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays, 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays, and not at all on some holidays or Sundays — though Oak Bluffs will allow residential use of blowers on Sundays.
In West Tisbury, there was a concerted effort from the landscaping industry to weaken the bylaw, and even shed the phased-in ban of gas-powered blowers.
Justin Kelleher, who said he has been in the landscaping industry for about 15 years, called for an amendment to get rid of the ban, and to instead keep blowers — gas and electric — restricted to the time of day; the landscaper said he had about $7,000 invested in electric equipment already, and the technology in battery-powered blowers isn’t comparable. He urged voters to revisit a complete ban on gas-blowers when the technology improved.
But voters weren’t having it. In a moment of levity, Kate Warner tried to play a recording of a blower over the West Tisbury School gymnasium speakers, but voters wanted to move on. One amendment did pass that would provide an exemption to the rules to mitigate impacts of severe weather.
In Oak Bluffs, it was more of the same, with the majority of proponents focused on the nuisance issue, particularly that caused by landscapers working on seasonal homes, and pointed to the health detriments of gas-powered leaf blowers. A few voters raised concerns over protecting the environment. Some, like Fred Hancock, said rakes were used before leaf blowers.
Still, voters approved an amendment made on the town meeting floor by Ashley Van Murphy to allow the use of leaf blowers by homeowners and lessees on Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm, the same as Saturday.
Those opposed to the bylaw said this would be a hit for small business owners, many of whom are immigrants.
“Most of the little [businesses], they are owned by immigrants,” Oak Bluffs voter Jose Sanabria said. “Unfortunately, most of them, they are not citizens. They cannot vote.”
Oak Bluffs Police Chief Jonathan Searle expressed worry that police resources would be unnecessarily drained toward noise complaints. Police are listed in the bylaw as the enforcers.
“I don’t believe it’s a legitimate use of police resources,” Searle said. Fielding concerns from residents, the chief noted that the bylaw was fine-based, and that the department would not be taking drastic action over violations. “As written, the Oak Bluffs Police Department will not arrest someone for blowing leaves,” Searle said.
In Edgartown, there was overwhelming support for the measure, with impassioned testimony, some highlighting the public health concerns. Greg Palermo worried about the health of landscapers. “They’re exposed at point-blank range to carcinogenic chemicals, including benzene. Benzene’s been known to cause cancers since I was in medical training.”
Tisbury voters will act on the proposed bylaw on Tuesday, April 29, and Chilmark will vote the day before, on April 28. Aquinnah does not have the question on its spring warrant, and its town meeting is scheduled for May 13.
What an overreach, how does this work for the golf courses that start work at 5am?
Every single landscaping company on this island should sue the towns and make them pay for the new equipment. As well as those who fix power equipment.
Who’s going to compensate them for all the lost revenue?
We’re making America great again, life before leaf blowers
The island is catching up with the rest of the country which started on this issue decades ago. Better to be late to the party then to miss out.
Thank god . . . yes!
Yes they are noisy and obnoxious but I question the legality of banning any approved item purchased in a typical store? Can cars be banned? Or your gas powered lawn mower? Or your chainsaw? Or large excavation machinery? Building a home is often loud? Most of us have gas powered machines. It should be based on decibels, not type item. The Boards of Health already have regulations on sound now, there are State decibel standards already in place. What if a company designs a very quiet muffler for their leaf blower? What about thousands of people that already bought gas blowers? Do towns need to reimburse them for their loss? I think this is a giant lawsuit in the making. The State should pass a law that any machine that exceeds a certain decibel can be banned, and no machine exceeding that decibel rating be allowed to be sold in the State. But you can’t tell someone after they bought a machine they can’t use it.
Two stroke leaf blowers are the target.
Should they be?
It’s about the noise.
If what you are are using is quiet, and safe, and reasonably clean, there will be no enforcement actions.
Do you believe in States Rights?
County Rights?
Town Rights?
Nantucket banned them 5 years ago. Several states have already banned them. We’re woefully behind the times.
The new law should go in effect before fall of 2025! The upfront cost of $150 for an electric leave blower is not exorbitant (especially the rate landscapers charge per hour). If it becomes law then the police should enforce as any other law …. like they do for illegal cellphone use in cars 🧐. The quality of life on MVI has been compromised over time to the detriment of all. Are we having fun yet?
Umm… there’s a big difference safety wise between texting while driving and using a leaf blower…
Not sure where you shop or how much you know about commercial/residential landscape equipment, but $150 dollars doesn’t even cover the cost of a battery. A new Stihl Backpack Blower ranges from $700-$1500 and a battery cost for those units is close to $1000 dollars. Now if your landscape crew has a half dozen or so of these units we are talking thousands of dollars to replace. Maybe at Walmart you can buy a cheap piece of garbage, but to have equipment that will be able to complete big jobs or even a small home, a $150 dollar unit is a waste of time. I’m sorry to say you are very inaccurate in your statement.
Rakes are cheap.
I think towns would have to reimburse every person that bought a gas leaf blower before this law was passed.
Now you can all listen to a genset in every truck charging up all those batteries.
Not if the landscapers are well run.
If they are not then the generator will be one tenth of the noise of a two stroke gas blower. .
A $500 auxiliary battery/inverter will take care of all of the rechargeable tool needs.
The aux battery would be charged when traveling between jobs.
Nantucket did this five years ago—not only is it total doable for a community to succeed at this, including landscapers doing their part and abiding by it. The Vineyard is very competitive with Nantucket, but apparently we could care less about winning this race for the environment, for peace and quiet, and for our community? Somehow it is forgotten that to the landscapers—your neighbors in these towns are overly annoyed at you, it’s not a “put up with us, it’s our job” kind of thing—it’s been done elders and you’re going to do it here. As for Chief Searle fretting in a dress about the waste of resources, please. You really think handing out citations is such a bother? And if you are known as a police force to enforce the bylaw as provided BY LAW people will get the picture. Enforcement of all laws encourages following them! Get real.
Hand out rakes.
Anyone remember rakes?
Better still, leave the leaves. The biosphere will thank you.
Yes! Geraldine, that’s the right idea!
Can we ship the gas-powered blowers to Palm Beach
They got golf courses there
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