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Electrification of lawn equipment provides health benefits to leaf blower operators and residents by significantly reducing noise and air pollution. Gasoline leaf blowers produce low frequency noise that can lead to negative health outcomes such as stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, tinnitus and hearing impairment. The exhaust from gasoline leaf blowers emits air pollutants that pose health risks including stroke, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, cancer, neurological conditions and prenatal development issues.

The negative health consequences resulting from the use of gasoline leaf blowers disproportionately impact operators and landscape maintenance workers from communities of color. With 46% of landscape workers nationally identifying as Latino, the proposal addresses the health, equity and environmental justice impacts experienced by landscape workers of color.

Electric leaf blower technology is improving but some uncertainty about potential cost impacts exists. Electric leaf blower models are cheaper to operate over time as they require less maintenance and remove the need to purchase fuels. However, the upfront costs of electric leaf blowers are currently higher than gasoline leaf blowers. To address the potential economic impacts on small landscaping businesses, the city will work with Multnomah County to develop incentives to offset costs for small landscaping businesses that would experience a disproportionate hardship.

The proposed complaint system for enforcement can disproportionally impact members of historically marginalized communities. Communities with a history of positive government experiences may be more willing to report – and may disproportionately report members of historically marginalized communities. Outreach and education in the community will be prioritized and the City would design an enforcement system with Multnomah County that considers potential impacts to all communities.

From March to October 2022, the City and Multnomah County convened a leaf blower work group (Work Group) that presented a recommendation to phase out the use and sale of gasoline leaf blowers within Portland. Work Group members included representatives from:

• Electrify Now
• Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon
• Multnomah County Office of Sustainability
• Oregon League of Conservation Voters
• Oregon Landscape Contractors Association
• Portland Clean Energy and Community Benefits Fund
• Portland Noise Control Officer
• Portland Parks and Recreation Bureau
• Precision Landscape
• Storm Landscape
• Quiet Clean PDX

In 2023, the City and Multnomah County reengaged Work Group members, as well as additional stakeholders, including representatives from community-based organizations, businesses, golf courses, and campus institutions. These stakeholders informed key decisions to equitably phase out the use of gasoline leaf blowers.

The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) released draft City Code for public comment in January 2024 and received 786 comments. Of the comments submitted, 86 percent were in support of the ordinance, 11 percent were opposed, and 3 percent were unclear. Comments centered around the following issues:

• Move forward the effective date for partial-year prohibition of gasoline leaf blowers (42% of comments)
• Move forward the effective date for full prohibition of gasoline leaf blowers (32%)
• Shorten or eliminate the wet leaf season exception (26%)
• Strengthen enforcement (24%)
• Concerns about cost to businesses (8%)
• Concerns that timeline is too short (4%)
• Environmental concerns related to battery mining, disposal, and added electricity use (2%)

BPS addressed concerns around gasoline leaf blower phase-out schedule, timing and duration of wet leaf season, inclement weather exceptions, and compliance enforcement. Some of the concerns raised are valid but outside of the scope of the City’s Title 8 health code. This proposal is based on input from the public, private and non-profit stakeholders, and the original workgroup recommendations.