It is time to seriously recognize and address something that is a growing health problem in our communities, affecting people of all ages suffering from allergies, asthma, and sinus and breathing problems. The problem is the use of electric and gas-powered leaf blowers.
Many times my yard or car cleaning work has been halted by neighbors using a leaf blower, generating billowing, choking clouds of dust floating across neighboring properties. Aside from the unnerving noise pollution created by the high-pitched motor, the air pollution is unbearable. I have to immediately retreat inside my house for hours to protect myself from allergy and asthma problems.
In reality, using a leaf blower becomes “blow my dirt to my neighbor’s property.� It is infuriating spending days cleaning your property or washing/waxing your automobiles only to have a neighbor’s leaf blowing work destroy the results of your hard work. This can easily create “yard rage� among neighbors.
This is unacceptable. The unbearable noise and air pollution must be stopped by severely limiting or eliminating the use of leaf blowers.
Given our nation’s concern of obesity, eliminating leaf blowers will require people to perform “physical work� again, using a rake
and a broom. This means longer time
for cleaning or more than one worker, which is a win-win for society, increasing physical fitness and creating more, much needed jobs.
Communities must take corrective, positive action to improve the health and well being of residents. Let’s make life more enjoyable, not more aggravating and damaging.
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Walter Reil
Atascadero
This article appears in Dec 9-16, 2004.