2006-08-01 Oral Communications Submittall ara Weisiger- Fwd: Requeit to City to ban Leaf Blowers
Page 1m
From: Christina Baines
To: Lara Weisiger
Date: 8/1/2006 8:10:01 AM
Subject: Fwd: Request to City to ban Leaf Blowers
»> <pcolburn @alamedanet.net> 8/1/2006 7:59 AM »>
BlankDear Mayor and City Council
I will be presenting the following at this Tuesday's City Council Meeting:
My name is Pat Colburn.
Thank you for taking Alameda into a more viable future by participating in the International Council for
Local Environmental Initiatives and creating a Climate Protection Campaign Task Force.
I urge the City Council to join over 20 other cities in California in banning leaf blowers from our city.
Leaf blowers produce irritating noise, cause dust to be airborne, create smog, pollute our environment,
damage plants, and spread disease.
The average blower measures 70 -75 dB at 50 feet according to a manufacturers lobbyist. The decibel
scale is logarithmic each increase of 10, represents a noise 10 times louder. According to the Alameda
Municipal Code, ambient noise level on residential and multifamily residential properties may not exceed
65 dB for more than 5 minutes within a one -hour period. Leaf blowers typically exceed five minutes use at
a time and typically exceed 75 dB.
The World Health Organization recommends general daytime outdoor noise levels of 55 dBA or less, but
35 dBA to meet sleep criteria. Thus, even a 65 decibel leaf blower would be too loud to allow healthful
sleep, which often takes place during daytime hours for night workers and children.
Blower winds stress plants causing dehydration, burned leaves, and the suspension of photosynthesis and
other natural plant functions. Overall growth is slowed. Natural openings in the leaves that allow for the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide are sealed shut. Disease spores laying dormant on the soil or
fallen debris are blown back onto plants where a little moisture can renew their cycle of infestation and
damage. Blowers effectively distribute disease spores, weed seeds and insect eggs throughout the
landscape (as well as to neighboring landscapes). Another hidden cost of leaf blowers is that they deprive
flowers, shrubs, and trees of life- giving mulch.The use of leaf blowers causes small particulate matter to
be blown around in the air and breathed into the lungs of people and animals. Leaf blower motors are
inordinately large emitters of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter
according to a study conducted for the California Air Resources Board. According to the Lung Association,
a leaf blower causes as much smog as 17 cars.
Leaf blowers kick up ground dust. According to www.nonoise.org, substances in the ground include: a.
Molds and pollens b. Animal feces c. Pesticides d. Lead, arsenic, and mercury e. Viral diseaselncluded
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Lara WeisigerW Fwd Request to City to ban Leaf KKBlowers
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with a leaf blower manufacturers literature accompanying their gas - powered blowers is this message:
"Warning! The engine exhaust from this product contains chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm." I have also included the four sections from
Alamedas Municipal Code which, if followed, would easily warrant a ban on leaf blowers from Alameda.
Why should we as citizens continue to contend with irritating noise, aggravation of respiratory disorders,
damage to our landscape and higher exposure to disease just so a few people can save a few minutes or
a few dollars?
Please join Berkeley, Piedmont, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Menlo Park and many others in ridding our city of
these dangerous nuisances.
Thank you
Pat Colburn
510- 865 -3460
The following sections from the Alameda Municipal Code should be sufficient grounds on which leaf
blowers should be banned:
CHAPTER IV OFFENSES AND PUBLIC SAFETY
4 -10 NOISE CONTROL.*
4 -10.4 Exterior Noise Standards.
a. It is unlawful for any person at any location within the City to create any noise or to allow the creation of
any noise on property owned, leased, occupied or otherwise controlled by such person which does not
comply with the provisions of this subsection unless the provisions of either subsections 4 -10.8 or 4 -10.9
have been met.
b. Exterior noise levels when measured at any receiving single or multiple family residential, school,
hospital, church, public library or commercial property situated in the City do not conform to the provisions
of this subsection when they exceed the noise level standards set forth in Table I or Table II following:
TABLE I
RECEIVING LAND USE
Single or Multiple Family
1 Lara Weisiger Fwd Request to City to ban Leaf Blowers Page
Residential, School, Hospital,
Church, or Public Library Properties
NOISE LEVEL, STANDARDS, dB(A)
Category
Cumulative Number of Minutes in Any One (1) Hour Time Period
Daytime (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
Nighttime (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.)
1*
30
55
50
2
15
60
55
3
5
65
60
4
1
70
65
5
0
75
70
* For example, this means the measured noise level may not exceed fifty -five (55) dB(A) for more than
thirty (30) minutes out of any one (1) hour time period.
TABLE II
RECEIVING LAND USE
Commercial Properties
Lara Weisiger - Fwd: Request to City to ban Leaf Blowers
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NOISE LEVEL STANDARDS, dB(A)
Category
Cumulative Number of Minutes in Any One (1) Hour Time Period
Daytime (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
Nighttime (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.)
1
30
65
60
2
15
70
65
3
5
75
70
4
1
80
75
5
0
85
80
c. In the event the measured ambient noise level exceeds the applicable noise level standard in any
category above, the applicable standards shall be adjusted so as to equal said ambient noise level.
d. Each of the noise level standards specified above shall be reduced by five (5) dB(A) for simple tone
noises, noises consisting primarily of speech or music, or for recurring impulsive noises.
e. If the intruding noise source is continuous and cannot reasonably be discontinued or stopped for a time
period whereby the ambient noise level can be measured, the noise level measured while the source is in
operation shall be compared directly to the applicable noise level standards in Table I or Table II.
f. Notwithstanding the noise level standards set forth in subsection 4- 10.4a, the noise level standard
applicable to the emission of sound from transformers, regulators, and associated equipment in electrical
substations shall be 60 dB(A). (Ord. No. 2177 N.S.)
CHAPTER XXI SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING
Lara Weisiger Fwd Request to City to ban Leaf Blowers
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21 -3 PROHIBITED ACTS.
21 -3.1 Deposit of Waste Upon Street or Private Premises, or in Sewer, Etc., Prohibited.
a. Generally. No person shall deposit upon any public street, highway or grounds, or upon any private
premises, or anywhere except in such places as may be designated for that purpose by the City Manager,
or provided by ordinance, any solid waste or other material of any kind. No person shall empty, throw or
deposit in any storm drain, manhole or any sewer any solid waste, hazardous waste, medical waste,
construction and demolition debris, recyclable materials, organic material, or unacceptable waste.
CHAPTER 24 PUBLIC HEALTH
24 -1.1 Conditions Declared a Nuisance.
c. The discharge of sewerage, garbage or other organic filth into or upon any place in such a manner that
transmission of infective material to human beings may result therefrom.
e. The maintenance of any real or personal property, whether improved or unimproved, in such a manner
that dust, sand, or any other foreign material shall be caused to be blown into the atmosphere or spread or
drift upon property or premises of any other person, firm or corporation in such a manner as to be a
detriment to the public health and safety and /or the property of such others. (Ord. No. 535 N.S. § 15 -711;
Ord. No. 1754 N.S.)
24 -9.3 Release of Hazardous Materials Declared a Nuisance.
a. The City Council of the City of Alameda, acting under the authority granted by the City Charter and
Government Code Section 38771, hereby declares that any hazardous materials release in the City is a
public nuisance subject to summary abatement and is also a violation of this Code.