MYTHS ABOUT THE PHASE-OUT OF GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS:
1. Myth: Battery blowers are weak and not capable of doing the work
a. Over 140 lawn care companies use blowers other than gas-powered blowers, and they are profitable.
[Transcript (Banks) p. 20]
b. Five of these successful lawn care companies testified or submitted statements to the Council.
[Transcript (Sainburg) p. 5; Transcript (Kline) p. 7; Banks2, p. 11 ]
c. Current lawn care companies use battery leaf blowers for large acreages and for sustained periods of time and can accomplish the work in the same amount of time. [Transcript (Sainburg) p. 5; Transcript (Kline) p. 7, 10; Elkins2, p. 4]
d. Nationwide, many businesses, schools, and 170 municipalities, are making the switch away from gas-powered blowers. [Banks2 p. 1, 6]
2. Myth: Courteous behavior on the part of lawn maintenance companies is a solution
a. The manufacturers of the equipment (OPEI) and the Lawn Care trade association (NALP) have no control over lawn care companies, all of which are independently operated. [Elkins2, p. 1; Blackwelder, p. 4]
b. The financial interests of the commercial lawn care companies incentivize the most aggressive use of blowers. [Fallows2, p. 3; Blackwelder, p. 4; Transcript (Johnson) p. 14]
3. Myth: Over time the marketplace will solve this problem without further regulation
a. Marketplace forces do not reflect the interests of those affected by the use of this noisy equipment (workers, neighbors). If the workers and neighbors were buying the machines, they would buy the quieter ones but they don’t have a voice in the decision. [Elkins2, p.2; Blackwelder, p. 2]
b. The marketplace promotes the noisiest leaf blowers, equating power and effectiveness with the loudness of the sound. [Transcript (Johnson) p. 13; Banks2, p. 4; Transcript (Kline) p. 7; Elkins2, p. 1]