Governor Ron DeSantis signs sweeping ban on farming restrictions into law

As other states and municipalities have enacted restrictions on gas-powered landscaping and farming tools, Florida has taken a step in the opposite direction.

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, recently signed a wide-ranging farm bill that, among other things, prohibits local jurisdictions within the state from placing limits on such equipment. 

"If you want to use different stuff, fine, it's a free country," DeSantis said at a bill-signing ceremony, per CBS News. "But I like the gas-powered better. I just think it's more reliable.

"If that's what you believe, then you should be able to continue to do that."

What's happening?

For years, gas-powered tools used in landscaping and farming have gone largely unregulated. As a result, they are responsible for a disproportionate amount of air pollution. 

According to one study, operating a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour releases as much air pollution as driving an internal-combustion-engine car 1,100 miles.  

Such pollution poses a significant health risk to workers, who often face exposure for multiple hours per workday. 

In response, a number of states and municipalities have placed restrictions on the sale and use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment, which can include everything from leaf blowers and weed wackers to tractors. For example, beginning in 2024, all such equipment sold in California had to produce zero carbon pollution, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. 

However, Florida is not alone in moving the opposite direction. Texas and Georgia also have passed laws prohibiting local governments from banning or even discouraging the use of gas-powered equipment, according to U.S. PIRG. 

Why is gas-powered equipment use concerning?

Because of their largely unregulated status, gas-powered tools are responsible for producing large amounts of air pollution. This creates significant health risks for workers, children, and others who are exposed to the hazardous substances the equipment emits. 

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"Gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment (GLGE) ranging from string trimmers to stump grinders and tractors is a source of high levels of localized emissions that includes hazardous air pollutants, criteria pollutants, and carbon dioxide," found a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  

What's being done about it?

In the absence of a federal law governing gas-powered lawn and garden equipment or placing limits on the amount of pollution such tools can release, individual states will be left to decide what regulations, if any, to put in place. 

However, spreading accurate information about the public health risks posed by such heavily polluting equipment will help individuals make informed decisions about what is right for their homes, families, neighborhoods, and businesses.

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