In a bid to reduce noise and air pollution, the Alexandria City Council will consider a total ban of gas-powered leaf blowers in its meeting next Tuesday (Jan. 28).
City staff will present a number of options for Council to consider on the noisy machines, including a total ban, an ordinance change, and a multi-year phase-out period similar to the enforced bans in D.C. and Montgomery County. There is a $500 penalty for a violation in both localities.
According to the city:
The city’s noise code was updated in 2021, allowing lawn and garden equipment, including leaf blowers, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and major holidays.
Banning gas-powered leaf blowers has been under discussion in Alexandria for years.
Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker’s (D-5th) effort to ban gas-powered leaf blowers goes back to her first campaign for state office. She was patron of a failed bill in last year’s General Assembly session that would have allowed localities to regulate their use, and was later informed in August by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares that Alexandria has the authority to ban leaf blowers without approval from Richmond.
City staff said that Alexandria will lead by example with this by transitioning to using battery-powered leaf blowers in fiscal year 2026, according to a presentation that will be given to Council.
A petition to ban the leaf blowers in the city garnered more than 350 signatures in 2022.
