U.S. bans on gasoline-powered leaf blowers grow, as does blowback from landscaping industry

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The roar of the leaf blower has become an inescapable part of daily life in communities across America, leading towns and states to ban or restrict blowers that run on gasoline. But the measures face blowback from the landscaping industry and some property owners. They say that battery-powered blowers are costlier and not nearly as effective as ones that run on gasoline. New Jersey is the latest state to consider banning such machines, but would still allow their use during peak cleanup times in spring and fall under a proposed bill. An environmental group says over 100 U.S. cities have banned or restricted gas-powered leaf blowers.