Hastings Updates Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Law
Hastings Updates Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Law
The lawn-care devices are now legal only from Oct. 15 - Dec. 31
by Janine Annett
Hastings-on-Hudson — Many Hastings residents recently discovered informational cards, hung on their front or back doors, alerting them to the most recent changes to the local gas-powered leaf blower law.
The updated law bans use of the devices other than from Oct. 15 – Dec. 31 (electric leaf blowers are legal year-round). In addition, only one leaf blower of any kind may be used simultaneously on properties of 1/2 acre or less, a designation that includes most residential properties in Hastings. Previously, operators of gas-powered leaf blowers were fined for failing to comply with the local law; now, owners of landscaping businesses can be issued tickets (in addition to homeowners).
In 2008, Hastings banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers from mid-May to mid-October after complaints from residents about their noise. According to Haven Colgate of the Village Conservation Commission, the 2008 law included a decibel limit, but it was often ignored, and many landscapers used multiple leaf blowers simultaneously on the same property.
Hastings is not alone in deciding to place restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers. Places like Burlington, Vermont; Washington, D.C.; and California have also restricted the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Some local communities, like Irvington and Larchmont, have banned gas-powered leaf blowers year-round. Colgate said a volunteer group, the Clean Air Collective, collected 500 signatures from Hastings residents in support of a similar ban, but that the village board decided to allow the gas-powered leaf blowers during the fall since landscapers argued they were indispensable at that time of year.
According to the Hastings Conservation Commission, gas-powered leaf blowers disperse dangerous particles into the air (including pesticides, heavy metals, nanoplastics, and animal feces); can cause hearing loss; erode topsoil; exacerbate asthma; damage habitat for insects and other wildlife; and emit large amounts of pollution.
“It’s best not to use a blower at all on lawns and beds,” said Colgate. “Instead, landscapers and homeowners can use mulching mowers to grind leaves into shreds, either directly into the lawn or using a side-bag. It's healthier for lawns.”
Not everyone in Hastings is happy with the updated regulations. Mark DeSouza, the owner of DeSouza Landscaping, has been in the landscaping business for 40 years. “It’s ruining my business,” he replied when asked about the latest leaf blower law.
For DeSouza, it’s not practical to use battery-powered blowers during the spring, when yard work is heavy. If during that season he had six to eight weeks to use gas-powered leaf blowers, he maintained that would allow him and his crew enough time to clean up local lawns properly. During the summer months, he would use electric-powered blowers, he said.
“The electric leaf blowers I purchased — that cost $1,000 apiece — only last an hour and a half,” he said. “It’s not efficient. They’re not up to par yet.” As for the suggestion to mulch leaves, “It’s physically impossible, with the bulk of leaves we have,” he noted. “It’ll kill the lawn.” He added, “It’s not fair to my customers. The world is changing, and I’m willing to change. All I’m asking for is six to eight weeks.”
For more information on the most recent updates to the gas-powered leaf blower law in Hastings, visit https://www.hastingsgov.org/conservation-commission/pages/hastings-leaf-blower-law.
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