Narberth will phase out gas-powered leaf blowers by 2029, following Lower Merion’s ban
Bringing Narberth in line with Lower Merion's policy will create parity for landscaping companies that do business in both municipalities, officials said.
Gas-powered leaf blowers will soon be banned in Narberth, bringing the borough in line with Lower Merion, which passed a ban on the equipment last fall.
Narberth’s borough council last week unanimously passed a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers and portable generators used to charge electric leaf blowers and their batteries. The gas-powered leaf blower ban will be seasonal before going into effect year-round in 2029.
Electric-powered leaf blowers will be permitted all year; however, the use of portable generators to charge electric leaf blowers will be banned effective Sept. 1.
Under the ordinance, gas-powered leaf blowers will be banned from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1 in 2026; from Jan. 1 to April 1 and June 1 to Oct. 1 in 2027; from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1 in 2028; then year-round beginning Jan. 1, 2029. The restrictions will not apply during and within 24 hours after snowfall.
Stores in the borough that sell gas-powered leaf blowers will be required to post signage warning customers of the ban beginning next month.
Those who violate the ban will get a warning, then will face increasing fines for subsequent offenses ($100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense, $600 for a third offense and beyond).
Narberth’s ordinance cites the Environmental Rights Amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution, which guarantees Pennsylvanians a right to clean air and water and the preservation of the environment.
The borough “wishes to continue to strengthen its commitment to public health and wellness and sustainability” and believes that the ban will “help achieve greater equity,” the ordinance says.
Narberth follows Lower Merion, which banned gas-powered leaf blowers last fall, beginning with a seasonal prohibition that will become an all-out ban in 2029. Lower Merion’s ordinance saw a swell of support from residents concerned about air pollution and noise, and pushback from some landscapers who said electric leaf blowing technology is not yet advanced enough to replace gas-powered equipment.
Narberth officials said bringing their policy in line with Lower Merion’s is an important step, as many landscaping companies operate in both municipalities. The Borough of Narberth is encircled by Lower Merion Township.
“We are mimicking Lower Merion’s language and their timelines here as much as possible, because obviously contractors work throughout Lower Merion and Narberth, so it makes sense to have one regulatory regime in place for them,” Narberth Borough Council President Fred Bush said at a March 19 meeting.
Bush also said the borough has been “hearing this from our residents for a long time that this is something they want.”
Radnor Township is considering a similar ban and is hosting a town hall on Thursday to discuss the proposal.
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