Portland City Council unanimously bans gas-powered leaf blowers

Aimee Plante
·2 min read
12

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Are you sick of the whiny high-pitched, loud hum of gas-powered leaf blowers? Well, Portland City Council’s decision might blow you away.

On Wednesday, the council unanimously voted to ban the landscaping appliances in an effort to “improve public health and quality of life for residents and landscape workers,” according to Commissioner Carmen Rubio.

“Gas leaf blowers emit toxic pollutants, particulate matter, and noise that creates negative health impacts for people nearby,” Rubio said in a statement after the decision was announced. “This policy is the culmination of many years of hard work and advocacy to make Portland a healthier and cleaner place to live.”

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The city’s reasons for the proposed ban include air and noise pollution, health concerns, and disproportionate impacts on specific groups.

“Gasoline leaf blowers most commonly have two-stroke engines that incompletely combust their fuel, resulting in the emission of benzene and additional carcinogenic substances,” the ordinance proposal states. “The use of gasoline leaf blowers can cause direct harm to people within the vicinity by contributing to localized air pollution, creating excessive noise and causing other negative health impacts to their operators who disproportionately identify as Latinx or Hispanic.”

Rubio first introduced the ordinance to outlaw the private and commercial use of all gas-powered leaf blowers in the city. However, gas-powered blowers will still be permitted during the fall and early winter through 2028 – as the latest electric leaf blower technology remains inadequate for removing wet leaves.

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The ordinance will take effect in Portland on Jan. 1, 2026, and the year-round prohibition will take effect in 2028.

Citizens found in violation of the ordinance would face a series of penalties for each offense. First-time offenders would receive a warning. A second fine would result in a $250 fine. A third offense would rise to $500, and a fourth offense costs $1,000.

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