CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The sustainability task force in north suburban Glencoe has urged the village board to approve a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers by 2024.
Hall Healy is a member of the task force and said gas-powered leaf blowers not only cause noise pollution, but they also pose other health risks.
For example, he pointed to a study that showed how much air pollution gas-powered blowers cause.
"The pollution and adverse health effects of a two-cycle gas-powered blower are more than a 9-year-old car, just as one example of the effects of this small but powerful motor," Healy told WBBM Newsradio.
The proposed ban drew sharp criticism from Frank Mariani, who owns a large North Shore landscaping business.
He said banning gas-powered blowers would significantly increase the cost of landscaping services because of the extra time needed to use electric-powered alternatives.
He also claimed far quieter and cleaner gas-powered blowers are being developed, which he expects to arrive in a couple of years.
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