Palisades News Letters: Let’s Ban ALL Leaf Blowers

Let’s Ban ALL Leaf Blowers

I am baffled by the continuing use of leaf/dust blowers. The same homeowners who care deeply about the health of their children and who separate their trash, bring paint and electronics to recycling centers, purchase a Prius and donate money to save the ocean because they care about the environment, seem to be undisturbed by the use of these filthy air-polluting machines. The clouds of dust they raise contain all sorts of bacteria and spores as well as dried feces and urine from rats, squirrels, dogs and other creatures.

The dust does not stop at the fence line. Neighbors who do not use blowers are forced to endure the falling residue as well as the noise. I hesitate to even contemplate what is happening to the health of the men wielding this weapon. Occasionally, one will wear a mask, but most do not. Perhaps we should ask every homeowner who employs a gardener that uses a dust blower to offer a mask to everyone within 500 feet.