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Commission advances draft proposal to limit gasoline leaf blowers, debates permitted dates and enforcement
Summary
Commission members discussed a draft ordinance to prohibit or limit fossil-fuel (internal combustion) leaf blowers, proposing seasonal windows for allowed use, enforcement by verified complaint, and a one-year phase-in to allow conversion to electric equipment. Members asked for wording tweaks and agreed to circulate edits before the next meeting.
Members of the Franklin Township Environmental Commission spent the largest portion of their Jan. 5 meeting refining a draft proposal to restrict the use of gasoline- or internal-combustion-powered leaf blowers.
"Gasoline or fossil fuel leaf blower shall be allowed to be used within the township of Franklin from March 15th through May 15th and October 1st through December 15th of each year," the drafter read aloud, describing a seasonal allowance intended to balance resident needs and environmental goals. The drafter said the proposal also recommends limits on hours of operation and a one-year effective period after council passage to allow operators to transition to electric equipment.
Supporters argued the prohibition is grounded in noise and air-quality concerns. One commissioner summarized the health rationale: particulate matter stirred by blowers can carry pollen, mold, pesticides and other particulates; fossil-fuel emissions produce nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds. Another member pushed for precise technical language and suggested replacing "fossil fuel" with "internal combustion engine" to avoid loopholes.
The commission debated enforcement language; the drafter proposed that violations be pursued through verified complaints so enforcement officers would not be expected to stop and cite every noisy operation. Commissioners also discussed start-times, decibel measures (township no longer uses decibel thresholds), and possible incentives such as subsidies or equipment-lending programs modeled on other municipalities.
Members agreed to circulate a revised draft incorporating comments from commissioners (including suggested phrasing changes, permitted hours and enforcement language) and to place a final proposed text on the agenda for a future meeting before forwarding the recommendation to township council. No ordinance was adopted at the Jan. 5 meeting.
