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QYG also called for gas leaf blowers to be replaced by electric blowers.

The Board of Health established a subcommittee last November to look into the matter, and on Monday, subcommittee chair Dr. Sarah Gamble gave the recommendation to reject QYG’s request.

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“The subcommittee recommends that Quiet Yards Greenwich’s general proposal of a revised noise ordinance be rejected, as they claim the use of gas-operated leaf blowers are an immediate health hazard,” Gamble said. “However, they’re proposing and allowing for their use for several months out of the year. We do not recognize a health hazard on a part-time basis.”

Gamble acknowledged that gas-operated leaf blowers have a “very loud, predominantly low-frequency component,” and the noise can travel over long distances and even penetrate windows and structures.

“What we could not find was any literature demonstrating the public standing at certain distances for short periods of time, especially listening to something being used on their neighbor’s property. We found no data about that,” Gamble said.

She noted that the recommendations on noise exposure limits, time limits and decibel limits from the National Institute of Health, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration primarily prevent job-related hearing loss, and they were not created for general public exposure.

Citing a public hearing from May in which the landscaping community was invited to attend, Gamble said pertinent arguments included the fact that the leaf collection season typically begins Nov. 1 and lasts for a six to eight-week period of time. Landscapers noted that electronic blower technology wasn’t developed enough yet.

Gamble also said the town’s noise ordinance already has restrictions for gas-operated leaf blowers, as well as fines for any violations of the ordinance in its entirety.

According to the current noise ordinance restrictions, the town allows the use of gas-operated leaf blowers Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

At all times of the year, only one gas-operated leaf blower can be used on residential lots which are a fourth of an acre in size or less, Gamble pointed out.

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day on all lot sizes, only one gas-operated leaf blower can be used. During storm-related events, gas-operated leaf blowers may be used to assist with recovery from the storm.

However, Gamble said, the subcommittee felt that changes to the existing noise ordinance are “fully warranted.”

As a result, Gamble requested that a public re-education program on the town’s noise ordinance for both Greenwich residents and the landscaping community be implemented through multiple platforms, such as social media, the town website and printed materials.

“We believe this re-education program will enhance the ability for the Greenwich Police Department’s enforcement, once people understand exactly what restrictions are in place,” Gamble said.

She also recommended a registration program be established for landscapers and property maintenance crews.

For example, vehicles used for landscaping businesses would need to have their business name on both sides of the vehicle, and registration decals would have to be present and properly displayed.

“I think it will enhance adherence to the current noise ordinance restrictions that we have,” Gamble said.

Gamble also requested that the subcommittee continue its work to look at and review noise ordinances in other Fairfield County towns.

“There are so many towns and little hamlets that have done a lot of good work on it,” Gamble said, “but you cannot translate those towns to Greenwich. It doesn’t work that way. We can’t just boilerplate this.”

She said the group could look at the CT Department of Environmental Energy Protection’s noise control division for guidance, too.

The Board of Health unanimously voted to accept Gamble’s recommendations.

Dempsey told Patch in an emailed statement that QYG “will continue working with town leadership who remain committed to protecting the health and quality of life for town residents.”

She hopes that resident concerns about these leaf blowers can be addressed in the future.

“Since the last effort to limit gas leaf blowers in 2012, every major health organization has spoken out about the health dangers of two-stroke engine leaf blowers including the New York State Medical Board which urged their municipalities to limit gas leaf blower use,” Dempsey said.

“However, the Board of Health chose to focus on the landscapers and added a landscape permitting process, at their request, when a meaningful reduction in noise and toxic fumes could have been made,” Dempsey added. “While we appreciate that they finally have acknowledged the health impacts of gas blowers, we do look forward to a future where the concerns and health of Greenwich residents might be considered as well.”

The re-education and registration programs could be addressed later in the summer or early fall, Board of Health Chair Joel Muhlbaum indicated.

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