In Support of a Petition to Address Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

To The Editor:  

As a long-time resident of “downtown Manchester,” I am ready to help organize a petition to ban gas-powered leaf blowers from the “downtown,” or within the entire town.  The noise and the pollution levels of one or more of these power tools are unhealthy, makes working from home impossible on some days, and forces residents to stay inside and/or shut doors and windows when the weather is warm and sunny!!! 

An initial proposal might be to limit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the densest portions of the town… many of those areas that have already lost the protection of local zoning, given our current compliance with the MBTA “Build More Housing” law.  

The initial “gas-blower ban” map might be bounded by Pine Street in the west, Summer Street in the east, Pleasant Street in the north and Central Street in the south.  If the majority of residents on additional streets or roads would like to extend the coverage of the town’s gas-blower ban, they can request that their street or road be added to the above suggested map. Alternatively, as has happened in the six cities and town listed below… the gas-powered leaf blower regulations can extend town wide. 

The first steps of such a ban might ban gas-powered blowers from December - September, allowing those who want to use gas blowers for fall leaf removal to have that privilege during October and November.  A second step, being used by some towns, is to then ban all gas-powered blowers throughout the town year-round.  

The following Massachusetts towns and cities have already passed some type of ban on gas-powered leaf-blowers throughout their towns and cities, most with stiff fines after a warning at the first violation: Marblehead, Concord, Lexington, Arlington, Brookline, and Newton.  Other towns and cities, including Cambridge and Lincoln also have some type of active bans, while numerous other cities and towns across the state are now organizing to pass such bans.  

Please contact me at susan.we@comcast.net if you are interested in meeting with the Select Board on this issue,  or in participating in drafting a citizens’ petition to ban gas-powered leaf blowers within parts of or all of Manchester.  

Susan Wadia-Ells 

Manchester