"Good neighbors keep their noise to themselves."

House of Representatives HB2109: Leaf Blowers; area A

Sponsors: Rep. Weason, Allen, Binder, et al

Committee on Environment; Committee on Health; Caucus and COW; As Passed the House

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HB 2109 would add a new section of law prohibiting the use of gasoline or diesel leaf blowers in area A.

History:

In March 2000, Governor Hull established the Brown Cloud Summit by Executive Order 2000-3 to identify ways to reduce the brown cloud, review the ongoing work by other groups to improve visibility, seek comments from citizens and develop proposals on how to put the measures into action. The task force recommended the following for leaf blowers: "Leaf blowers (gasoline and electric) resuspend particulate matter at a rate estimated to be 2.5 pounds of particulate matter per hour, approximately half of which is PM 10. Gas powered blowers also generate VOCs and CO emissions. A ban on all leaf blowers would reduce emission of these pollutants as well as neighborhood noise. This requires legislative action to provide authority and funding for Maricopa County."

Provisions:

• Bans the use, in area A, of gasoline or diesel equipment used to blow landscape and garden debris.
• Prescribes the penalties for violating the section as follows:
  1. A warning would be issued for the first violation;
  2. A fifty dollar fine for the second violation;
  3. A one hundred dollar fine for the third or any subsequent violation.
  4. Penalties are in the form of a civil ticket, similar to a traffic ticket; the county is the enforcement entity. (The penalty and enforcement provisions are the same as the residential wood burning restrictions in ARS 11-871.)
• The section would be effective January 1, 2002.

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