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Residents press Madison council to ban gas-powered leaf blowers; council to study but delays action this season
Summary
A wave of residents and students urged Madison officials to ban two‑stroke gas leaf blowers for health and noise reasons; the mayor said staff will continue outreach with landscapers and towns that enacted ordinances, but no regulation will be imposed for the 2026 season.
Dozens of residents and students urged the Borough of Madison council on March 23 to ban gas-powered, two‑stroke leaf blowers, arguing operators expose neighbors and field users to harmful emissions and excessive noise.
Renee Shalhoub, a special-education teacher, told the council she works with people “who have hearing loss and are neurologically and physiologically affected by noise and air pollution,” and urged the borough to adopt a public‑health ordinance to restrict gas-powered landscaping machinery.
Student speakers said blowers affect children walking to school and athletes practicing on local fields. Jack Summers, a Madison High School junior, said gas blowers release compounds linked in studies to asthma and cardiovascular disease and described the smell and dust he and his classmates experience near school fields.
Paul Daly, an attorney and resident, framed the issue as a nuisance problem and urged the council to phase in restrictions that would give contractors time to switch equipment. Several speakers urged a phased approach and pointed to electric alternatives.
Mayor Robert H. Conley responded that the borough’s DPW, environmental commission and council members have been meeting with landscapers and that the borough will learn from other municipalities where ordinances have been challenged or modified. He said there will be additional outreach meetings with landscapers using electric equipment and legal and enforcement issues will be examined, but: “There will not be any regulations for this season though, we’re too late.”
The mayor asked staff to continue the process of research and outreach; the public comment segment closed with no ordinance vote. Council members emphasized balancing quality-of-life concerns, legal risk, and economic impacts on local landscapers as they consider next steps.
