City switch to electric leaf blowers delayed

By Mark H. Stowers

Birmingham city commissioners decided at their meeting on Monday, September 23, to delay creating an ordinance to ban two-stroke, gas powered leaf blowers in favor of electric battery-operated leaf blowers until more of the specifics and language can be ironed out.

The original motion wasn’t brought up for a vote. It included phasing out the two-stroke, gas powered leaf blowers for Birmingham by July of 2026.

The intention has been to lessen noise and air pollution in the city, but commissioner Andrew Haig said he had tested an electric battery-operated leaf blower on his own property with results being the electric battery-operated leaf blowers are not at a high enough level to fully replace gas powered ones.

Commissioners requested that more research be done by planning director Nicolas Dupuis and the ordinance will be brought back to city commission at a later date.