Clean and Quiet Yard Care

Members of the SCNA Board are working with neighbors to eliminate the use of gas-powered lawn equipment in our neighborhood. We invite you to embrace the lawn care evolution!

Why Ditch Gas-Powered Lawn Care?

  • Reduce air pollution
  • Quieter for you and your neighbors
  • Protect the health of your lawn care worker, yourself, and your neighbors.

Help Your Gardner Learn About Discounts For Electric Lawn Equipment

For information on the CARB Voucher program to enable landscapers and gardeners to purchase commercial grade lawn equipment at greatly reduced prices, please share the recent Viewpoint article in English and in Spanish. 

How to Make the Switch

  • Ask your yard care provider to use electric equipment
  • Seek an electric yard care provider
  • Purchase your own electric equipment
  • Share electric equipment with neighbors
  • Go manual! Use a push mower and rake by hand (studies show no significant difference in time efficiency)
  • Let your yard care provider know that gas-powered equipment is harmful to their health (both hearing and lungs)
  • Share this flier with neighbors and landscapers.
  • Add your name to our list of concerned Curtis Park neighbors – join our email list BELOW

Resources

  • Gas leaf blowers emit CO, NOx, HC and PM, contributing to greenhouse gases and climate change
  • Consumer-grade gas leaf blowers emit more pollutants than a 6,200 pound 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
  • By 2020, ozone-contributing pollutants from small off-road engines (inc. gas yard equipment) will exceed those from cars from direct release of tailpipe emissions
  • The first thing we do, let’s kill all the leaf blowers (New York Times Editorial)

SCNA Workshop on Sustainable Grounds Maintenance Strategies

Videos

Leaf Blower Pollution

Air Pollution Effects on Kids

The City of Sacramento Noise Ordinance specifies that:

  • Leaf blowers – gas and electric – must cease operation while the air quality index established by Sac Metro Spare the Air is 101 or higher.
  • Gas-powered leaf blowers may only operate from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday thru Saturday and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sundays
  • Noises levels may not exceed 65 decibels at a distance of 50 feet; most gas powered equipment exceeds this level but there is no current enforcement

Noise from gas equipment is harmful to hearing…

  • Gas-powered mowers and blowers range from 80-100+ decibels; a jet take off is 100 decibels
  • Gas blowers measuring 70-75 decibels at 50 feet can reach 90-100 decibels at the operator’s ear and to those nearby
  • Exposure to 80-92 decibels for two hours can cause hearing damage
  • Gas leaf blowers are damaging to plants…
  • Leaf blowers operate at 170 MPH – hurricane force winds – disruptive to plants and biota
  • Blowers erode beneficial mulch and bark around trees and landscaping and stir up allergens, mold and dust contributing to allergies

Clean & Quiet Yard Care News

Local Resources

Statewide Advocacy Resources

Para continuar con el contacto con paisajistas de habla hispana, comuníquese con Nury Enciso (nuryenciso@gmail.com)

Sources: California Air Resources Board; Noise Free America; Washington Post 9/16/13; Earth911.com; Michael Benjamin, CARB via NPR 2/28/17; Hal Thomas phone noise meter; City of Sac Noise Ordinance for Lawn Equipment; Citizens For A Quieter Sacramento