Atherton bans petrol-powered leaf blowers

One month after Atherton banned all gasoline-powered leaf blowers, the city is focusing on educating the public about the new ordinance rather than punishing violators.

On July 1, Atherton joined Menlo Park, Palo Alto and other cities on the peninsula in banning gasoline-powered leaf blowers due to concerns about excessive noise as well as the release of harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. The ban followed the passage of California Assembly Bill 1346, which took effect on January 1 of this year and bans the sale of gasoline-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other small off-road engines across the state.

“To date, the city’s contact (with people who violate the regulations) has been limited primarily to education and warning,” said City Manager George Rodericks. “From what I understand, there has been a positive response and further requests for refunds.”

If a violation occurs repeatedly, penalties start at $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and up to $500 for the third Offense/per incident, per day following the offence, as per the regulation.

To facilitate the transition to electric leaf blowers, the city is offering residents a $250 rebate on the purchase of an electric leaf blower and its batteries and chargers.

Atherton resident Stephen Nachtsheim said he knew about the rebate program but would not take advantage of it because he had already switched to an electric leaf blower.

Nachtsheim said he thought “the ban was a good idea, especially since it was ultimately mandated by California law. Electric equipment will continue to exist and we will continue to use it. The implementation seems to have been positive since Atherton introduced the rebate program.”

Nachtsheim, however, expressed a reservation.

“What I don’t know is what impact it’s had on people who run small lawn care businesses in Atherton,” he said. “Like, how many battery packs do you use in a work day and how do you afford to switch to a new piece of equipment?”

Michael Oteiza, owner of M. Oteiza Landscaping, has many clients in Atherton. He said some customers still don’t know about the July 1 local ban.

Oteiza also noted that while most customers did not purchase their own electric leaf blowers, he anticipated the change in California and local laws regarding gasoline-powered lawn equipment and planned his budget accordingly. He also took advantage of California’s CORE program, which provided vouchers and incentive funding for California small businesses and sole proprietors to purchase zero-emissions gardening equipment.

“The California CORE program was extremely helpful in making the switch to electric lawn equipment. It ended up covering two-thirds of the cost of each piece of equipment I replaced,” Oteiza said.

The CORE lawn equipment rebate ended on October 2, 2023, after $27 million in voucher incentive funds were made available. No announcements have been made for future funding for professional garden equipment. Additional funding for small business owners looking to switch to cleaner equipment is available through local air districts. The California Air Resources Board offers other incentive programs for zero-emission garden equipment.

Oteiza is already noticing positive effects of switching to electric leaf blowers among his employees.

“The noise pollution for leaf blower operators has been significantly reduced. The hearing health of our employees is improved by the reduced noise pollution.”

Oteiza believes the ban needs to be better enforced, but expects this to improve as people become more familiar with the new regulation.

According to Rodericks, the implementation of the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers is progressing well. He said the city is continuing its education campaign about the changes and continues to post information in city publications and on the city’s social media.

The city’s code enforcement team is on site and interacting with residents and lawn care professionals, he noted. “The first contact is usually to educate about the code change and to get information about the city’s rebate program. The second contact is usually a warning and the third contact may include a citation for violation.”

Lisa-Marie Daley, Atherton’s building control officer, said 15 incidents involving petrol leaf blowers were reported in July. Nine cases were in response to complaints from residents, and six were cases where staff observed someone using a petrol leaf blower and provided them with educational materials.

“Police officers are trained to inform residents and landscapers about the ban and the rebate program when law enforcement officers are unavailable,” she said. “Our goal is always voluntary compliance, with enforcement being a last resort.”

Although the state banned the sale of gasoline-powered lawn equipment in January and neighboring jurisdictions have already passed bans on other types of gasoline-powered lawn equipment, Roderick said, “There are currently no plans to do the same in Atherton.”

Atherton is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 49% below 2005 levels (or 40% below 1990 levels) by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. In addition to electrifying lawn equipment, the city is working on several initiatives, including electrifying buildings and vehicles, to achieve this goal.

More information

Reimbursement details can be found on the City’s website, ci.atherton.ca.us.

Refunds can be expected within four to six weeks of filing. Residents with questions can contact Christabel Soria Mendoza at 650-752-0577.

Residents who wish to report the use of a gasoline-powered leaf blower are asked to call the Atherton Police Department’s non-emergency number at 650-688-6500. This is for violations that are time-sensitive but not considered emergencies. Daley explained that calls to this number regarding gasoline-powered leaf blowers are treated the same as other concerns and complaints regarding city ordinances.