An End to Gas Leaf Blowers in Santa Cruz
We did it! Santa Cruz Will Phase Out Gas Leaf Blowers
On June 25, 2024, the Santa Cruz City Council voted 7-0 to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers in the city. The ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2025.
Santa Cruz joins over 50 other cities across the state which have done so already. The city will continue reaching out to landscapers and inform them of the ordinance as well as the LEEP trade-in program which provides new battery equipment and extra batteries at discounts up to 80%. Santa Cruz C.H.A.S.E. will continue our outreach efforts and help landscapers and residents access the LEEP funds, understand enforcement, etc.
The County Supervisors voted 5-0 on the same day to move their parallel ordinance forward! We expect a vote in August.
Stay tuned for news on the County’s developing ordinance and info on the city’s as it starts to roll out.
Thank you so much to all of our supporters who helped make this happen–community action really does make a difference!
“Why did we tolerate these things for so long?”
Let’s face it, no one has ever liked the noise and fumes of leaf blowers, but tolerance for gas-powered leaf blowers is at an all-time low. It’s easy to see why–many more properties are being maintained by landscaping companies, most of those companies still use gas leaf blowers, and since so much work and living happens at home these days, there is no escaping them. Battery-powered leaf blowers are now as capable as gas ones for most purposes, so the continued polluting and disruption of our neighborhoods with gas-powered leaf blowers is not just unhealthy and obnoxious, it’s sensless as well.
Santa Cruz Joins Other Cities of Sanity
On June 25, 2024, the city of Santa Cruz finally passed a sensible ordinance and joined the 52 other towns and cities across California that have banned gas-powered leaf blowers (see map). In advance of the policy taking effect, on January 1, 2025, C.H.A.S.E. will help the City educate landscapers and the public about the coming policy. When enforcement begins next year, we will watch closely to see how enforcement is handled and work with the City on improvements to effectiveness and equity, if necessary.
The Problem
Gas powered leaf blowers inflict large public pain for a small private gain.
Gas-powered leaf blowers are outdated devices that disturb the peace while spewing a host of harmful toxins and pollutants into our neighborhoods. It’s like smoking sections on airplanes–it was never a good idea, but years ago common sense finally won out. Across California and the country, municipalities are finally restricting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.
Is your city council still allowing these machines to pollute and disrupt your neighborhood? Visit the national Quiet Clean Alliance to see what you can do.
Solutions
Educate
Talk to your landscaper and neighbors about the impacts of gas leaf blowers, and help spark the voluntary transition to quiet/clean tools in your neighborhood. Check out our page on clean alternatives that are a win-win for everyone.
Advocate
The City of Santa Cruz, CA finally passed an ordinance. The County of Santa Cruz is working on theirs now–send the County Supervisors a note of support today. Or if you live elsewhere, connect with the new national Quiet Clean Alliance to help bring a sensible policy to your neighborhood.
Learn more about how you can help
Santa Cruz Coalition for a Healthy & Safe Environment
Santa Cruz, CA
Email