Comment Log Display

Dear Chair Randolph and Members of the Board, 
 
I am a California resident and I support the adoption of new
regulations that will phase out the sale of highly-polluting
gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn equipment in California beginning
in 2024.

I live in a dense, R2 neighborhood in Santa Monica. Despite the
regulation banning leaf blowers here, nobody is enforcing it. I
call code enforcement frequently, and rarely has there been a
remedy. My house is downwind of a large multi-unit building and in
the summer especially, the gasoline fumes from single stroke engine
yard tools fills my open house (we have no AC) almost daily. I
don't know when to shut my windows and I am always too late. It is
bad enough to have the increasing summer heat these days, but to
have to close up your house because the air is toxic in 90 degree
heat is doubly unhealthy. I can't escape the fumes inside my house
by going out into my yard because the fumes are pooling there. I
get headaches, and I feel terrible about what it is doing to my
kids. This is a "no-brainer". Gardeners need to return to rakes,
brooms, and buy rechargeable mowers (like me).
 
The use of gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers in particular
causes numerous health problems, and greatly contributes to
California's notoriously poor air quality. California continues to
fail to meet national air quality standards, which means that
millions of Californians like myself breathe unhealthy air
everyday.
 
CARB's public health benefit analysis determined that these new
regulations, if adopted, will result in: 

    $8.8 billion in health insurance benefits through 2043
    892 premature deaths avoided
    438 fewer emergency room visits for asthma 
    311 fewer hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular
issues

The California Legislature also appropriated $30 million for your
agency to distribute to small proprietor landscapers to help them
begin to acquire and transition to new, zero emission electric and
manual equipment. This is in addition to subsidies and buy back
programs already led by air districts throughout the state.

This regulation will improve air quality, help to slow the climate
crisis, improve human health, and save lives.

Please approve and amend the SORE regulations per the staff
recommendation.

Thanks,