Multnomah Co to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers at county facilities
Raise your hand if you hate the sound and smell of gas-powered leaf blowers. If that’s you, you’ll be happy to hear that Multnomah County Commissioners passed a resolution this month to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers at county facilities. Why is this a big deal? Pollutants from gas-powered leaf blowers can cause heart disease, cancer and impacts on prenatal development. It’s not just the threat to individuals who use them, the environmental impact is large too. The use of a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour generates as much air pollution as driving a Toyota Camry over 1,000 miles (about a hundred times as much pollution as the average car). The resolution requires the county to transition to electric blowers, provide adequate charging infrastructure and develop a proposal for eventually phasing out gas-powered leaf blowers across the county.
