Supervisors Seek to Muffle Leaf Blowers, Lawn Mowers

Following the lead of local municipalities, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to study how best to reduce noise created by gasoline-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers.

Unanimously--and without comment--the board asked the county counsel’s office to report back in four weeks on what measures can be taken to decrease the irritating sound of loud yard tools, short of an outright prohibition.

“We want to look at ways to cut down on the noise, but we don’t want to ban them,” said Tom Silver, chief deputy to Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who sponsored the motion.

In May, the Los Angeles City Council tentatively banned gas-powered leaf blowers from being used within 500 feet of residences.

But the city law has not taken effect because the city attorney’s office--which is drafting the legislation--is working carefully to avoid expected challenges to the ordinance by leaf blower manufacturers, said Deputy City Atty. Keith Pritsker.

The issue will be back before the council for a final vote in the next week or so, Pritsker said.

Statewide, there are at least 42 other municipalities that have some restrictions on leaf blowers.

Roy Imazu, a gardener who lives in Sun Valley and is a legislative analyst for the Southern California Gardeners Federation, said gardeners rely on leaf blowers the same way that secretaries depend upon office equipment. Restricting their use, he said, is unfair.

“This is my tool, this is like my computer, my typewriter,” Imazu said.

“We should try to find ways to mediate problems, not just eliminate a tool.”

Imazu said he hoped county officials would meet with members of the gardening industry before imposing a law.

Currently, county law allows the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers and similar equipment between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Antonovich’s office decided to study the problem in unincorporated county areas after the supervisor received a number of recent constituent complaints about being awaken by noise from garden tools and dust created by leaf blowers, said Dave Vannatta, an Antonovich aide.

“Mike finally said, ‘We need to take a look at this thing,’ ” said Vannatta. “At a minimum we are asking to look at the hours in which these things are used. We are also asking to look into requiring that [leaf blowers] be muffled. . . . Another issue is that we are also trying to keep this stuff out of the gutters because we want to keep it out of the storm channels that go to the ocean.”