Committee rejects autumn exemption to gas-powered leaf blower ban; seeks enforcement fix and outreach

Montgomery County's Transportation and Environment Committee on Monday voted 2-1 against expedited bill 19-25, an amendment that would have created a seasonal exemption allowing gas-powered leaf blowers during autumn months. The vote followed a lengthy discussion about enforcement, a county rebate program to help landscapers convert to electric equipment, and concerns about requiring photographic evidence to submit complaints.

Why it matters: The underlying law, enacted July 1, bans gas-powered leaf blowers in the county. Supporters say the ban reduces noise and protects workers and residents; opponents — including many landscaping businesses — argued the industry has not had sufficient time or money to transition and that current battery technology and infrastructure present operational challenges.

Committee debate focused on enforcement mechanics and the county's rebate program. Stan Edwards of the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Energy, Climate and Compliance said, "since the law took effect on July 1, we've had, we've opened 76 cases," and explained the current complaint form requires photographic evidence to advance to a civil citation. He told the committee that DEP would be able to accept two-party complaints or to remove the photograph requirement only after a legislative change.

DEP staff and council members outlined how the county has distributed rebates to support conversion. Amy Stevens of DEP said the county allocated $325,000 in rebates in fiscal year 2025; the county received an appropriation of $300,000 for fiscal year 2026 and had begun issuing vouchers. Mary Tropellini (DEP) said the FY25 distribution included 308 residential rebates of $100 each (totaling $30,800) and 205 commercial vouchers ranging from $1,000 to $1,500.

Committee members voiced concern about operational realities for commercial landscapers in the fall. Councilmember Andrew Balcom said some companies have purchased dozens of units and still need many more, and described battery limitations: "How long does the battery last? 30 minutes," he said, describing runtime on high power. Several councilmembers and staff noted that large distributors sometimes provided their own rebates and bulk discounts, which meant some larger landscaping firms did not use the county voucher program.

Members discussed alternatives to the photograph requirement on the complaint form and the difference between single-party and two-party complaints. Edwards said DEP lacked staff to respond in real time to most noise complaints (the department has six environmental investigators covering all environmental code enforcement) and that the two-party complaint provision was designed to allow residents to file reports outside working hours.

Councilmember Gabe Albornoz (bill sponsor) and others said they supported the original year-round ban but wanted to address enforcement mechanics that could encourage bystander photography and possible targeting of workers. The chair and several members agreed that changes to the enforcement language should be pursued in a separate, expedited piece of legislation rather than by amending bill 19-25 in this session.

Final action: The committee voted 2-1 against adopting expedited bill 19-25. Members said they would pursue corrective legislation to remove or revise the photographic-evidence requirement and to clarify complaint and enforcement procedures, and asked DEP to amend its online complaint form and continue outreach to landscaping companies and residents.

Other specifics recorded in committee: - Fines for a class A violation are $500 for a first offense and $750 for a subsequent offense, as stated by DEP staff. - DEP reported approximately 76 complaints opened since the July 1 effective date of the ban and said the agency had six environmental investigators for enforcement. - DEP noted rebates have been distributed but in many cases covered only a fraction of the market cost; residential rebates were $100 per voucher, commercial vouchers ranged $1,000'$1,500.

Next steps: Committee members asked the county attorney and DEP to draft language for an expedited ordinance or amendment that would remove or revise the photograph requirement and clarify whether a single-party complaint is sufficient, then return to the committee for a vote. DEP said it could also amend the online complaint form to remove the current required-photo field while staff and the county attorney work on a legislative fix.