Officials debate contentious proposal to ban common landscaping device: 'There's lots of interest in the issue'

Three years after tabling the issue, officials in a Connecticut town are once again discussing a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers.

Members of the New Canaan Town Council Bylaws and Ordinance Committee raised the proposal at their June 4 meeting, CT Insider reported.

Noisy equipment such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers can only be used during daytime hours in the area. The city originally discussed restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers in 2022, based on a recommendation from its Conservation Commission, but it chose not to act.

This year, after receiving a number of letters from city residents, officials once again decided to look at a possible ban.

"There's lots of interest in the issue, and I think it behooves us to take it forward," council member Kimberly Norton told CT Insider.

Norton wants to bring the issue before the council in July, but others on the council worry that it isn't enough time to fully study the issue or garner public feedback.

"It's an incredible attribute to be deliberate and careful, and I'll tell you, if we vote on something in July that will not be deliberate and careful," council member Tom Butterworth said.

Gas-powered leaf blowers can exceed 100 decibels, roughly the same noise level as a jackhammer. And using one for one hour can create the same amount of pollution as driving a new car for 1,100 miles, a 2023 study found.

Electric blowers, meanwhile, are much quieter, at roughly 60 to 75 decibels. They also produce no emissions, making them considerably better for the environment.

Many other cities nationwide have adopted a ban on gas-powered blowers, citing noise and environmental concerns. In 2024, Westport, Connecticut, enacted a seasonal ban that is in effect from May 15 through Oct. 15.

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Connecticut legislators have also discussed a statewide ban on the landscaping tool. House Bill 6263 would make using or selling a gas-powered leaf blower illegal as of 2029, with a phase-out period beginning two years earlier.

"They are much more than just a nuisance — they are actually a very meaningful public health threat," environmental scientist Allen Hershkowitz told NENC.

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