The great leaf blower debate

Last week, Lower Merion Township passed a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. Many are happy to wave goodbye to noisy and pollutive equipment. Others have reservations.

Air Date: November 24, 2025 12:00 pm

File: A gardener uses a leaf blower to clear leaves at a home in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Last week, Lower Merion Township took a side in a nationwide debate. But it was not health care, or immigration, or Marjorie Taylor Green that generated two and a half hours of contentious public comment.

Instead it was gas-powered leaf blowers causing the dust-up. When the ordinance to ban them passed 10 to 4, many locals celebrated the decision as a win for the environment and for their ear drums. Others say the change creates an onerous regulation for the landscaping industry, forcing new equipment to be purchased that comes with drawbacks.

So, how bad are gas-powered leaf blowers really? Could Lower Merion’s decision spark a trend across the region? And what should we make of the industry concerns?

Guests:

Todd Sinai, president of the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners

Gerhart Arndt, owner of Sustainable Lawn Care Services

David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment

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