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Menlo Park will begin to enforce its Zero Emissions Landscaping Equipment Ordinance, which bans all gas-powered leaf blowers and string trimmers, also known as Weedwhackers or weed trimmers, starting July 1. All landscaping equipment used in Menlo Park will have to be electric, battery powered or manually operated.
A ban on other gas-powered landscaping equipment such as walk-behind lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and chainsaws will come into effect Jan. 1, 2029.
With the passage of Assembly Bill 1346 in 2021, California’s legislature has already banned the sale of gas-powered landscaping equipment and other small off-road engines within the state. As of Jan. 1, 2024, manufacturers within the state are required to sell only zero-emission landscaping equipment.
Menlo Park isn’t the only city regulating gas landscaping equipment. Atherton’s gas-powered leaf blower ban, which was adopted in April 2023, will also go into effect July 1, 2024. The use of gas-powered leaf blowers has been banned in Portola Valley since January 2021.
The ordinance was adopted by the City Council in a 3-2 vote on July 11, 2023 in order to address noise, health and climate impacts from gas-powered landscaping equipment within the city.
“The city’s Climate Action Plan establishes a target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 in order to limit the harmful impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and high heat, and to support a healthy community,” said Rachael Londer, Menlo Park’s sustainability manager, in an email to this news organization. “This requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are produced by the burning of fossil fuels, including gasoline, by at least 90%.”
Despite their small size, the engines of gas-powered landscaping equipment generate huge volumes of smog-forming pollution. In fact, estimates from the California Air Resources Board show that using a commercial leaf blower for one hour generates approximately as many smog-producing emissions as driving 1,100 miles in a car.
Gas-powered landscaping equipment can also negatively impact the health of the operator.
“Beyond producing the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change, gas powered landscaping equipment has a negative impact on air quality, worker health and safety, and contributes to noise pollution,” said Londer. “Air quality is of paramount concern in California and in our community as we address health concerns, including asthma, in our most vulnerable communities including children and older adults.”
The ordinance did not change the hours of allowed operation for gardening equipment from those currently permitted. Anyone can operate electric gardening equipment within the city from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and residents may operate the equipment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Residents found to be in violation of the ban will be subject to fines, ranging from $100 for a first violation to $500 for a third violation within a 12-month period. Violations of the ban will not be enforced against the person or company using the gas-powered landscaping equipment, but rather the owner of the property where the gas-powered equipment is used.
In order to prepare residents and local gardeners for the upcoming enforcement of the ordinance, city staff engaged in bilingual outreach — in Spanish and English — throughout the winter and spring. Outreach included bilingual community meetings for landscapers and community members, a Q&A session with a business that transitioned to electric equipment and an electric gardening equipment voucher program.
The vouchers were distributed to eligible residents and businesses throughout the spring. Ten vouchers worth $1,000 each were distributed to gardening businesses, and 40 vouchers worth $250 each were distributed to individual residents or non-gardening businesses.
Currently, funding for the voucher program has been fully subscribed, but city staff plan to recommend that the city allocate additional funds to the program. Community members can email sustainability@menlopark.gov to express interest in the program.
“The popularity of the program demonstrates that the community is eager to go electric and that education, outreach, and incentives are critical components of meeting our climate goal,” said Londer. “City staff see this program as a success and will be recommending the continuation of this program as part of our fiscal year 2024-25 budget which will be presented to City Council during the June 11 City Council meeting.”
Atherton has allocated 60 out of 100 available electric leaf blower rebates, which are worth $250 and are available to residents until June 30, 2024.
Other voucher programs may become available through the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. You can sign up on its website at baaqmd.gov to receive notifications if funding for voucher programs becomes available.
To further prepare for the upcoming ban, Londer also suggested that residents may want to provide electric leaf blowers and string trimmers or extra batteries for their landscapers to use.
Thank you Menlo Park City Council!