My name is Randy Thompson, and I am a business owner of a media company in Virginia Beach. I currently serve on the Oceanfront Enhancement Committee and served for the past 12 years on the Resort Advisory Commission until my term expired in December. This Commission and Committee initiated this effort to curtail the Right of Way infringements in our resort. The genesis of this bill was to keep the sidewalks and our public right-of-way clear and safe in our pedestrian-heavy resort area – specifically the Atlantic Avenue corridor. The primary infringements come from resort retailers using the public sidewalks to merchandise their products. Current law prohibits this practice but, as a criminal offense, the enforcement is practically non-existent. With the issuance summons and the subsequent continuances until the busy summer season is over, the result has generally been a slap on the wrist, later in the fall, long after the busy foot traffic is gone from Atlantic Ave. HB235 IS NOT “additional” law that will harm or hinder small businesses in the resort. In fact, the Atlantic Avenue Association, who represents the small businesses there, have voiced support for this proposed legislation. They play by the rules and simply want others to do the same. HB235 IS a very practical means to ensure that our sidewalks and other public right-of-ways are kept clear and safe during our busiest months and throughout the year. I encourage you to support this bill and allow us this common-sense approach to addressing this problem.

Comments Document

Dear Chairperson Shin and Subcommittee Members: Thank you for hearing testimony on House Bill 581 relating to the plight of child sex trafficking victims within the state. Shared Hope International is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing, restoring, and bringing justice to survivors of child and youth sex trafficking. Shared Hope has been working in Virginia, across the country, and throughout the globe for over 20 years to guide and support appropriate responses to protect survivors, hold offenders to account, and ultimately prevent the crime entirely. Thirteen years ago, we launched the State Report Card project to assess the status of state’s laws and drive legislative progress. Despite its progress on addressing this issue, Virginia received an ‘F’ in 2023, scoring a 48 out of 100. House Bill 581 (“HB 581”), if passed, would require attorneys for the Commonwealth to establish multidisciplinary human trafficking response teams that would (i) discuss implementation of protocols and policies; (ii) establish and review guidelines for the community's response to various forms of human trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking; and (iii) review protocols for the trauma-informed, victim-centered collection, preservation, and secure storage of evidence from physical evidence recovery kit examinations, among other things. Collaborative, multidisciplinary groups (“MDTs”) addressing human trafficking have become essential in the national fight against human trafficking and the provision of necessary services and resources to survivors. This response model, which includes various disciplines working collaboratively, is encouraged by the U.S. Department of Justice and is recognized worldwide as a best practice in the anti-trafficking field. Through MDTs, law enforcement, child welfare, service providers, advocates, other professionals, as well as the child and their family can work collaboratively to prioritize the wellbeing of the survivor and provide trauma-informed support and services. Survivors of child sex trafficking often have complex needs that cannot be addressed by a single agency or service provider; instead, survivors need support from a number of service providers addressing various needs, including physical health, mental health, reproductive health, malnutrition, substance use, and self-destructive behaviors. While some of their needs are shared by other children who have experienced abuse or trauma, it is important that child sex trafficking victims not only receive a broad array of treatment but that treatment is specialized to the unique trauma associated with commercial sexual exploitation. An MDT response provides a comprehensive, coordinated effort that creates increased capacity to meet a myriad of needs through a specialized service response. Additionally, this increased capacity to meet survivor’s needs will support law enforcement and prosecutors’ ability to hold offenders accountable by increasing a survivor’s capacity and ability to participate in the criminal legal process. Therefore, state law should mandate a survivor-centered MDT response be utilized for child sex trafficking cases. We are grateful for the Committee’s dedication to this issue and respectfully ask for your support.

I SUPPORT HB208, 281, 634, and 644. Gas-powered leaf blowers are an environmental scourge and I'm thankful that a bill has been written to allow localities to restrict them. I wish the Commonwealth of Virginia could just ban them outright. I wholeheartedly support repurposing office buildings to serve as childcare centers.

Here y'all go again. Just as you did with plastic bag taxes, and “local gun control", some of you aim to forsake the Dillon Rule and authorize localities to outlaw gasoline-powered leaf blowers (and more). There is so much wrong with HB644 (and) SB305: 1. Many in the G.A. lack the courage to enact such a law for the entire state, knowing that it’s too unpopular to ever pass. So you “pass the buck” to counties and cities such that at least some of your radical Leftist agenda can be achieved in the few places throughout Va. where ignorant voters elect local officials who’ll enact such an insidious ordinance. 2. This measure demonstrates your blatant racism, particularly toward our “brown” community. Leaf blowers are used largely by small business owners of Hispanic descent as they strive to make an honest living in the lawncare/landscaping industry. These “workers” (as you Marxists call them) don’t have the money to buy all new equipment. Note: Salim’s Bill says, “Civil penalties assessed under this section shall be paid into the treasury of the locality where the violation occurred and may be used by the locality to assist with the purchase of nonprohibited leaf blowers by residents and local businesses.” I want to see the cost analysis that establishes there’ll be enough “civil penalties” money collected to replace all gas leaf blowers with "nonprohibited" ones in any given locality. Even if there were (as I’ve explained previously regarding bag-taxes) we know that that money will never make it out of the “treasury” and back to individuals who you suggest deserve it. In other words, there’s simply too much corruption, graft and incompetence within the bureaucracies that collect, account for, and (supposedly) disseminate that money for Salim’s scheme to work scrupulously. By the way, Mr. Salim, what do you mean the money “may be used......”? Why don’t you say that, “it “must” be used to assist with the purchase of nonprohibited blowers? This slight but sinister discrepancy further reveals your insincerity. Finally, please define "nonprohibited" (And in doing so, describe in great detail the specifications of such a blower: how many cfm does it produce, what will be its power source, what brands are acceptable, where are repair shops that are capable of maintaining them, etc. ?) 3. Banning leaf blowers is but a “Trojan horse”. You intend to eventually outlaw all gas- and propane-powered devices: lawnmowers, string trimmers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, snow blowers, automobiles and countless other tools that facilitate Virginians’ pursuit of happiness (that is, to maintain their privately owned property). (We know that those of you like Salim subscribe to the United Nations’ “Agenda 21/30” where there would be absolutely no private ownership of any property whatsoever, thus making us all dependent on the government and subject to the whims of Marxists like you.) Those who claim that leaf blowers (and similar tools) are too noisy and emit pollution are too ignorant to realize that alternatives (batteries, for example) are even worse for our environment, but I don’t have the time now to detail the hideous affect batteries have on our environment throughout their lifespan; from the mining of their components, to their disposal, and to the fossil-fueled power required to keep batteries charged.

OPPOSE BILLS= LACK OF LIBERTY! President Biden, Progressive Democrats, and Democratic Socialists of America sure have limited citizens' choices. Your Party has done a great job putting America last. "Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." ~ John F. Kennedy

PLEASE pass HB 644!! The huge amount of noise pollution gas powered leaf blowers produce is overwhelming. EVERY DAY during the Spring and Fall each year they overtake communities with their constant noise, producing very little and/or no gain for it. There are alternatives - Electric, rakes, etc that can take their place. Landscape companies espouse their benefit, yet only for them, as they are used as a cheap jobs program rather than actually producing results. They create havoc among our local communities with their constant noise. Please give residents of each locality the ability to govern and regulate the use of gas powered leaf blowers.

I support this bill to allow localities to prohibit or regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. In my suburban neighborhood gas leaf blowers are a daily source of noise and emissions. More eco-friendly alternatives to leaf management exist, making the need for these tools obsolete. They also negatively impact the local air quality and health of landscaping workers. Passing this bill allows communities to protect their local air quality.

Please, please, please, please pass HB644 (Gas-powered leaf blowers; local prohibition or regulation, civil penalty) to allow Virginia localities to regulate these awful machines that could be easily replaced by better alternatives (rakes, tarps, brooms, electric equipment, etc.). Look how many scores of Virginians would applaud you for passing this important, life-changing legislation! Gas-powered leaf blowers and chemical sprayers put vulnerable workers at extreme risk of hearing and lung damage. They destroy the quality of life for so many Virginians for much of the year with noise that penetrates walls and earplugs hundreds of feet away. Using horribly inefficient two-stroke engines, they spew air pollution, accelerate climate change, send topsoil and animal feces airborne to be washed into our waterways, and disrupt habitats for humans, animals, and pollinators alike. Peace be with you. Virginia's localities eagerly await a more peaceful future. Thank you for your work making Virginia a cleaner, quieter place to live and work.

I strongly support HB644. Communities are becoming more aware of the considerable environmental damage created by the two-stroke engines in most commercial leaf blowers. Further, as many commenters have noted, the noise created by these devices has gone beyond just being a nuisance. I've heard from members of my City Council that a local ordinance could be put in place if given the legal authority to do so. I would be proud for the City of Falls Church to lead in this regard. I might also suggest that Virginia localities consider ending leaf collection in the fall, which could dissuade the use of these blowers. Doing so would also save our towns money, prevent piled leaves from obstructing roadways or storm drains, and avoid a fire hazard. Fallen leaves are an excellent natural fertilizer for lawns, shrubs and trees, and we should encourage our neighbors to disregard the pressure to have a "pristine" yard. There are much more sustainable ways of managing this natural, beautiful process!

Gas powered leaf blowers are horrible for anyone walking past them and breathing the air nearby (or not so nearby). Localities should have the power to ban or regulate their use.

I support HB 644. I reside in a 7th storey condominium in Arlington. Sitting on my balcony to talk or read is impossible when workers on the ground are moving leaves off of a walkway. I think that there are several viable alternatives to gas powered leaf blowers.

I support HB 644. In addition to the detrimental effects of gas blowers on both health and the environment, I believe that local jurisdictions should have the autonomy to determine their restrictions.

We are a fervent supporters of HB 644. We reside in Arlington and the homes are so close together we can hear the lawn companies all spring/summer/fall inside our home due to the volume of their equipment. It's very disturbing to all neighbors who either have children who require mid-day naps and/or work from home which is a large majority of us. Please pass this bill in support of the citizens of Virginia. Thank you.

I support HB 644. As a resident of Arlington, our houses are very close together and when a neighbor uses a gas powered leaf blower, we can hear it all throughout our house and it's very disturbing. I would love to see HB 644 get passed which would improve our quality of life and be better for the environment.

I support HB 644. In addition to the detrimental effects of gas blowers on both health and the environment, I believe that local jurisdictions should have the autonomy to determine their restrictions.

I support HB644. I strongly believe that local jurisdictions should have the autonomy to determine their restrictions around leaf blowers.

I support HB 644

As a hardworking professional I strongly support this legislation. These machines are so loud and are used so often that they interfere with doctors' ability to work in the hospital. They blast outside my call room and wake me up after I have been up all night delivering babies. All just to blow grass clippings. It's totally ridiculous and has to stop.

I support HB 644. The landscape industry shows zero concern for the health of its landscape crews who are exposed on a daily basis to staggering levels of pollution emitted by the typically 2-stroke engine of these loud filthy tools. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) says that operating a commercial lawn mower for one hour emits as much smog-forming pollution as driving a new light-duty passenger car about 300 miles, over 4 hours of driving. But operating a commercial leaf blower for one hour emits smog-forming pollution comparable to driving a new light-duty passenger car about 1100 miles – over 15 hours of driving. Emissions from gas blowers include carcenogenic VOCs such as benzene, acetaldehyde, and butadiene. And there's the noise: gas leaf blowers go to 110 dB and workers are often without adequate hearing protection, especially in summer when ear muffs get too uncomfortable to wear. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (“OPEI”) has the blatant hypocrisy to say that passing HB 644 "will negatively impact OPEI members and hardworking professionals throughout Virginia. " Pure sanctimonious palaver. On the contrary, switching to zero-emissions electric leaf blowers would spare the crews from breathing in the very unhealthy exhaust of the gas powered tools. Electric may not be as efficient, but these men have only one pair of lungs, one vascular-cardiac system, one auditory system. Human health should always take precedence over profits. That said, electric leaf blowers, like gas blowers, still stir up particulate matter (PM) of which small PM (2.5 microns) is a serious health risk. N95 respirator masks, properly fitted, should be worn while operating all leaf blowers. (N95 masks will NOT protect from VOCs which are gases.)

Comments Document

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (“OPEI”) opposes VA HB 644 which will provides that any locality may regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. VA HB 644 will negatively impact OPEI members and hardworking professionals throughout Virginia. Please see the attached comments.

Please support HB644

HB644 is a common sense measure that would allow localities in the Commonwealth of Virginia to respond to the expressed desires of their community with regard to the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The bill does not ban or otherwise regulate blowers. It does not impose anything on anyone anywhere in Virginia. It simply gives local governments the authority to adopt leaf blower ordinances as their constituents see fit. As you will have seen in the many comments posted in support of this bill, gas-powered leaf blowers are bad news for our physical and mental health and for our environment. The low-frequency noise penetrates walls hundreds of yards away, raising blood pressure, hindering concentration, and causing mental distress. The toxic emissions pollute our air and introduce carcinogens into our bodies. The blast of air - up to 190 mph - can wreak havoc on the homes of critical pollinators. The unbearable noise is what led me to join Quiet Clean NOVA which seeks to restrict or ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, and promotes the electrification of all landscape equipment and the adoption of sustainable lawn-care practices. Gas-powered leaf blowers are largely unnecessary and are all too frequently not even used for leaves, but rather for blowing grass clippings around. The other day, my neighbor even tried to use one to blow the snow off of his walk! Battery-powered blowers require fewer repairs, are cheaper to operate, and last years longer than gas-powered ones which typically require major repair/replacement after three years. The return on investment in electric is typically as early as 3 years and can even be under one year. If Virginians somewhere in the state are asking to be protected from the physical assault of gas-powered leaf blowers, their elected local officials should be able to provide that protection. Please pass HB644.

I support HB644 in phasing out gasoline powered leaf blowers.

As of this writing, HB644 has 80 comments in favor, none against. Of the 13 that could be coded as mentioning lawns, 9 reject lawn aesthetics in favor of ecology. One comment states that people probably don't care about this issue, but it is important. Another speculates that other cities may not be opposed to gas powered leaf blowers, like theirs is. Without fail, when it comes to lawn norms more than 90 percent dislike or despise them, and most of those people feel like they are in the minority. The data suggests that the neighbors are using that annoying leaf blower because they are afraid you will frown upon them if they don't keep a tidy lawn, even as they despise your own lawn crew's leaf blower and secretly wish you'd let your lawn relax. See http://BuildingBetterCommunities.org for more data and examples. Let this be the first comment AGAINST. Why? Because this bill squanders massive political support by using the word "may" when it should use "shall.' And squandered it will be because few localities will exercise their option because departments of community development will pressure the city council members they work with week in, week out, to resist eroding lawn norms that might eventually mean they would have to downsize their department. Please use the power of Dillon's rule to finish the job our local elected officials will not be able to bring themselves to do.

I am writing in strong support for HB 644 Sullivan! The noise of gas-powered leaf blowers is an unnecessary blight on urban and suburban communities in Virginia, and this measure would rightly give localities the authority to decide, through democratic processes, what level of noise pollution, when, and where, is correct for their communities. Rural jurisdictions may decide the leaf blowers are fine; suburban ones may allow them in some places (golf courses) but not others. I hope mine will ban them entirely but recognize others will not. The machines are hurting property values by diminishing the sense of peace and quiet that should come with home ownership. The noise damages our health and ability to do productive work at home. For those with health conditions, the particulate pollution they kick up is highly dangerous - life threatening in some cases - forcing these neighbors to shelter in place in their homes during leaf blowing times - which in some places means increasingly all times, all year long! I am all for providing private companies that rely on gas powered leaf blowers some help (tax incentives or other measures) to transition to: sustainable lawn care practices (leaving leaves under bushes as protective cover and fertilizer), raking, or using electric or battery powered blowers. We need to change our expectations about what noise pollution is acceptable in our neighborhoods, at least those with high density. Again, the importance of the legislation is that communities can decide. I hope that delegates from rural jurisdictions will recognize that this proposal does nothing to impede their constituent's ability to blow leaves around their properties. But please give cities and suburbs the right to decide what is right for them!!!

I have grown increasingly annoyed by the endless noise made by the use of leaf blowers in our neighborhood. They can be heard for a long distance and now during Spring , Summer , and Fall their noise is almost always in the background. When they are used at a neighbors house by a lawn crew, the noise is particularly intense. It make you crazy, the noise penetrates walls and interrupts whatever you are doing. All this for creating a tidy lawn by blowing around some grass clipping. If this were some kind of foul smell, it would not be tolerated. People deserve to live in their own homes in peace. It is about time to regulate the use of leaf blowers . Our neighboring state and the District of Columbia have. Leaf blowers pollute (2cycle engines) and are harmful for our ears and environment. Our community should be able to decide how they are regulated, and I urge you to pass HB644.

I am writing in support of HB 644. In Alexandria City, gasoline-powered leaf blowers exceed the stated maximum noise limit set by Alexandria City Code, but the City is unable to enforce its own noise standards. Please approve HB 644 and allow communities to regulate the annoying Fall ritual which is the loud, annoying drone of gas-powered leaf blowers.

I support HB644

I urge the subcommittee to support HB 644. The use of gas powered leaf blowers should be a matter delegated to localities - the entities most in tune with local needs.

Date: January 25, 2024 Allow Municipalities to Regulate Gas-powered Leaf Blowers I strongly support HB 644 to allow localities to enforce regulations to regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Along with generating Noise and Pollution, Gas-powered leaf blowers account of 5 percent of Green House Gas emissions in the USA, using over 2 Billion gallons of Gasoline each year, affecting air quality adversely. Gas-powered leaf blowers emit noise at 100 dB, that is equivalent to a bulldozer, impact wrench, or motorcycle.  While a motorcycle may be loud for seconds as it passes by on your street, Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers are used over long lengths of time, in close proximity to your home. Most of us can agree that we are a captured audience when it comes to gasoline-powered leaf blowers. On any given day of the week there can be 3 or 4 workers using gas-powered leaf blowers at the same time in a neighbors yard. Just today I was told by a colleague that until the pandemic shut down which required him to work from home, that he had no idea how prevalent and how loud they really are. In Alexandria City, gasoline-powered leaf blowers exceed the stated maximum noise limit set by Alexandria City Code, but the City is powerless to enforce its own noise standards. We ask that you approve HB 644 and allow communities to regulate the noise and filth spread by Gas-powered leaf blowers. Sincerely, Paul DeCourt Registered Architect (Ret.) Alexandria, VA 22301

I am writing in support of HB644. Gas-powered leaf blowers are a menace in urban and suburban communities everywhere. Studies have shown that the noise they emit exceeds safe, acceptable levels and exceeds most local noise ordinances. Moreover, their low-frequency sound means the noise travels farther and penetrates walls and windows more easily than many other sounds, including those of electric blowers. When these machines are used on one person's property, the noise is heard by neighbors indoors and out for hundreds of yards in all directions. The noise is disruptive to people who might want to sleep or who are trying to concentrate on work or other projects. It's even more disruptive to anyone who wants to be outside, trying to enjoy their own yards. Since most gas-powered blowers have no pollution controls, they also produce massive amounts of pollution relative to the power that is generated. Pollution is not only caused by the burning of oil and gas in leaf blowers, but it's also caused by the typical one-third of the fuel that goes un-burned and is emitted into the air as fine particulate matter that is also easily inhaled. Excessive, unnecessary noise and pollution are forms of trespassing onto other people's property. HB644 does not ask that anything be done at the state level except for one thing: Allow local jurisdictions to decide whether to regulate or limit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Different communities and different areas of the state may have very different opinions about the use of leaf blowers. So why can't each local government have the right to determine whether or how much they want to allow the use of these machines? This issue is very similar to zoning ordinances because it affects people at the most local level--in their own homes and neighborhoods. So why should the right to regulate this local activity and protect local residents be prohibited by the state?

I strongly endorse this bill and the need to ban or strictly regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in our communities, first and foremost for the health benefit of the landscape workers who really have no choice in the matter if they want to keep their jobs, as well as for the sanity and well-being of residents in our neighborhoods. There is no reason why high-in-demand landscaping companies cannot purchase and supply their workers with electric leaf blowers, along with an extra rechargeable batteries to do their work. This will make an important difference to the health and well-being of workers who are least able to advocate on their own behalf on this issue, and return some peace to our communities. Please, let's get this important bill passed! And, thanks to Rip Sullivan for bringing it forward...

This is to request that members of the Counties Cities and Towns Subcommittee #1 vote to support HB644, sponsored by Del. Sullivan. This bill would grant localities in Virginia the ability to prohibit/regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. These noisy, unhealthful devices impact blood pressure, sleep and cardiovascular and metabolic health. Their low-frequency sound travels far and easily penetrates walls. They are harmful for landscape workers, who risk hearing loss, tinnitus and lung disease. Their primitive, inefficient two-stroke engines fail to combust 30% of their fuel, and emit 23 times the carbon monoxide and 300 times more hydrocarbons per hour than a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Moreover, their use is generally unnecessary, since electric devices can perform the same work. Many communities around the country have already banned their use, including Washington D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland. Please vote to let local governments in the Commonwealth regulate these harmful devices as they see fit.

HB 644 is am important piece of legislation because it curtails using the terribly polluting gas powered leaf blower. Pound for pound comparison between it and the F150 pickup truck indicates that the blower is much more polluting. We need to have less carbon in the atmosphere and outlawing gas powered will force landscape workers and others to switch to either electric or battery powered blowers. I appreciate your help. Gary Medlin

It is common sense that local authorities should have the ability to regulate or ban gas-powered leaf blowers. These machines spew huge amounts of pollution and noise that hurt the entire community, and the community should be able to decide what to do about it.

I support HB644 introduced by Delegate Sullivan because it will give my city the option to eliminate or control a real problem. For example, my next-door neighbor has a gas-powered leaf blower that he uses almost every day. It is very loud, and I can see the exhaust from it. With the constant improvement in battery technology these tools work very well if they are battery powered. They will also eliminate the use of fossil fuels. Thank You

I am commenting in agreement with HB 644. Gas powered blowers create an immense amount of noise pollution in my area and are being used at all hours of the day. I work nights and have been woken up many times by these blowers being used, at a legal time, early in the morning. I also have hearing damage that is exacerbated when I inadvertently and unavoidably come into close contact with lawn maintenance workers.

I support bill HB644

The impact that climate change has on the health of our communities is irrefutable. We need to take action in our everyday lives for the future of our children.

I am asking the committee to pass HB 644 because the citizens of the state of Virginia deserve the right to create the environment which suits the local, Alexandrians live I close proximity to one another. Gas leaf blowers are operating from very early through dinnertime everywhere. The use of a single machine swill disturb people who are outside enjoying nature, sitting in the sun, or talking to one another. It is impossible to do this because of the sounds which are well of 65 DC, thereby breaking the noise limit every single day. Additionally. There are noxious gases flying in your air, and the disturbance of micro ecosystems which live in the leaves. You cannot avoid the sound inside either, it comes right through the walls, and those using them are most vulnerable to cancers and ear damage these can cause. We need the authority to ban gas powered leaf blowers in our cities and towns. Please pass this bill so we can make our localities healthier and more livable. Electric and rakes are the way. Thank you.

The noise pollution in a densely populated area, like Alexandria, is above all reason. And it's every day, all day, as each resident and HOA have their own landscapers and schedules. The air pollution is also over the top and deadly to those manning the machines. Alternatives have been available for many years now and there is NO good reason we are still using these outdated, dangerous choices. In a place like Old Town Alexandria, where everyone has a postage stamp sized yard anyway, nothing more is needed than a rake. I grew up with them and they still work! Thank you, Col (ret) Patricia Webb

Please let local authorities decide about banning or regulating gas-powered leaf blowers! In a dense area such as Arlington, gas-powered blowers are really disruptive. They create a high-level of noise that can be heard through closed windows. I work from a home office and have had to move to another space simply because gas-powered blowers were outside my window on a neighbor's property. As you can imagine this not only increases stress but reduces my ability to work productively. I can only imagine the challenge others face with the incessant and high noise levels if sensitive to loud noises, need sleep mid day (whether babies, elderly, or sick) or simply need quiet time to recharge or relax. This is an issue that should be dealt with in a local context! In addition, there are alternatives to gas-powered blowers - whether battery-powered options or the more manual methods. Please pass this bill so we can decide what's best for people based on the unique considerations relevant at the County level and not dictated by the State of VA.

Pertaining to House Bill 644 submitted by Delegate Rip Sullivan, I am in support of allowing local authority to restrict the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. These tools may have a place for use, but it is not universal, and local authority is in the best position to ascertain the appropriateness of use and benefit, or harm and lack of benefit. Please empower local authority to do this.

Please pass HB 644! Gas-powered leaf blowers harm human health, the environment, and community quality of life. This bill does not ban them, it merely gives localities the appropriate right to decide what is best for their people.

I strongly support HB 644, to enable local jurisdictions to regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. Gas powered leaf blowers create noise pollution and air pollution that is proven to be harmful, worsening the qualify of life for anyone around them who are currently powerless to stop or limit them. The noise, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons are all known to be damaging to health of all ages, especially sensitive groups. The technology doesn't even provide an appreciable benefit — often you can rake a yard faster and with less energy expended than by using a leaf blower. The workers who use these machines are at the greatest risk. Local jurisdictions need the ability to protect public safety and health by being authorized to pass restricting legislation against gas powered leaf blowers.

Please support HB644. Gas-powered leaf blowers contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, and noise pollutants and thus damages our climate, our environment, and the health of both neighbors and workers. Electric blowers, the old-fashioned rake, and just leaving leaves in place offer reasonable alternatives. Local jurisdictions should be able to decide how to make their communities more peaceful and sustainable.

Please support Delegate Sullivan bill (HB 644), to permit counties and cities to prohibit or regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. Most blowers have two-stroke gasoline engines, an old and inefficient technology that produces a variety of pollutants and other hazardous emissions. Two-stroke engines fail to combust 30% of their fuel, and emit 23 times the carbon monoxide and 300 times more hydrocarbons per hour than a Ford F-150. In addition to adding massive amounts of carbon to the atmosphere, they pose a risk of lung disease to users, particularly to landscaping workers who must use them several hours a day. In addition to their hazardous exhaust emissions, gas-powered leaf blowers are much louder than battery powered leaf blowers, averaging 80-90 decibels versus 60-70. The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that ten decibels louder is ten times as loud. Using gas-powered leaf blowers puts users at risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. Their low frequency sound travels far, easily penetrating walls and disturbing those at home and work, as well as wildlife. Thanks to advancing technology, battery-powered leaf blowers are now effective for commercial and residential use. The initial cost of acquiring battery-powered equipment is soon recouped by their much lower ongoing maintenance costs. Across the country states and localities are making the transition to battery-powered leaf blowers through regulations and/or incentivization programs. In Virginia, many urban and suburban localities are ready to make the transition and are already doing so with their municipal equipment. HB 644 provides localities a tool to move their communities from use of obsolete two-stroke engine technology to clean electric technology. Note that this would not be a state-wide mandate, but only allow for local control.

I am writing to urge your support of HB644 to permit ordinances to prohibit or regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. They disrupt our lives for 8 or 9 months a year with unnecessary and intense, dangerous noise. They are significantly used by low-paid workers whose health is threatened by them. They create unnecessary emissions, and use up fossil-fuel that is a waste and a contributor to climate change. Certainly, not all VA jurisdictions will choose to regulate or prohibit these. But HB644 provides the opportunity to let communities decide for themselves how to deal with this problem, and to tailor such control to each locality's distinct situation. As a retired person, I would like once again to be ably to enjoy my yard and porch. For hours on end, these things disrupt the very flow of our lives, and create stress and tension that is unnecessary. Thank you.

I am writing to request that you support Delegate Sullivan’s HB 644, to permit counties and cities to prohibit or regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. The majority of such blowers have two-stroke gasoline engines, an old and inefficient technology that produces a variety of pollutants and other hazardous emissions. Two-stroke engines fail to combust 30% of their fuel, and emit 23 times the carbon monoxide and 300 times more hydrocarbons per hour than a Ford F-150. In addition to adding massive amounts of carbon to the atmosphere, they pose a risk of lung disease to users, particularly to landscaping workers who must use them several hours a day. In addition to their hazardous exhaust emissions, gas-powered leaf blowers are much louder than battery powered leaf blowers, averaging 80-90 decibels versus 60-70. That may not seem like much, but the decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that ten decibels louder is ten times as loud. Using gas-powered leaf blowers puts users at risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. Their low frequency sound travels far, easily penetrating walls and disturbing those at home and work, as well as wildlife. Thanks to advancing technology, battery-powered leaf blowers are now effective for commercial and residential use. The initial cost of acquiring battery-powered equipment is soon recouped by their much lower ongoing maintenance costs. Across the country states and localities are making the transition to battery-powered leaf blowers through regulations and/or incentivization programs. In Virginia, many urban and suburban localities are ready to make the transition and are already doing so with their municipal equipment. HB 644 provides localities a tool to move their communities from use of obsolete two-stroke engine technology to clean electric technology.

I support HB 644.

Please support HB 644 for local control of gas leaf blowers. Gas leaf blowers are a public nuisance -- EXTREMELY ANTISOCIAL, NOISY, VERY POLLUTING and ALWAYS OBNOXIOUS. These poered leaf bloeers have ruined the peace of my Town, as commercial lawn and landscaping companies operate every day all day. WE NEED TO BAN THEM ASAP, or at least limit hours of operation.

I'll never forget the day that all five of my surrounding neighbors had lawn services using gas-powered leaf blowers. The air became acrid with fumes; after all, these engines are among the dirtiest around. The noise was unbearable, even inside the house, windows closed, and earplugs in. These machines are truly an unnecessary evil. They are especially unnecessary given the advancement in battery-powered equipment. But in fact, equipment is often not the best choice anyway, simply an convenient one. I have watched these "services" spend hours blowing leaves that could have been raked faster. Cities must be allowed the right to regulate whether, how, and/or when these monsters may be used. What is not a problem in a large rural area is a massive problem in a city neighborhood. Please let us live in peace. I support the passage of HB644.

I support HB 644 wholeheartedly.

Please limit the use of gas powered leaf blowers. They are a menace as they often go on for hours and hours when used by lawn companies. Thank you .

I support HB 644. There are significant health benefits if a community or local jurisdiction wishes to ban/ restrict gas powered leaf blowers.

Gas powered leaf blowers create extreme noise pollution — the most powerful can produce sounds of up to 100 decibels of low-frequency noise, around the same as a Boeing 737 taking off — they are also an environmental menace and a threat to human health. It’s been shown that because this type of equipment doesn’t have catalytic converters, only two-thirds of the gas and oil mix is burned as fuel. The rest is emitted as toxic fumes of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), two of the main ingredients in ground-level ozone, which both trigger asthma attacks and contribute to premature death. The California Air Resources Board says a single gas leaf blower operating for one hour generates the same smog-forming emissions as one car driving 1,100 miles. These small devices leak formaldehyde and benzene, both of which are known carcinogens. The people most impacted by these toxic fumes are the lawn care workers. After that, children, the elderly are the most impacted. Finally, these relatively small devices also emit tons of carbon dioxide. According to the latest data from the EPA, fossil fuel-powered lawn equipment (including not just leaf blowers but trimmers, mowers, weedwackers, etc.) emits 30 million tons of carbon dioxide in the US each year — more than the amount of greenhouse gases that Los Angeles produced in 2021.

I support HB 644. Gas powered leaf blowers are bad for the environment and a major noise disruption to our quality of life. There are alternatives. Please give local communities the opportunity to discuss, debate, educate and act to address this issue. Thank you. Jay Fisette

I support HB 644

I support HB 644.

I support HB 644

I support HB 644

I support this legislation

I support HB 644. While I believe gas blowers are harmful to humans and the environment on which we depend, I believe localities should have the right to choose their level of restriction. Context matters.

I support restricting gas powered leaf blowers

Build Our Future is an ad hoc group of Alexandria citizens concerned about the role of greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings. We strongly support the advocacy of our colleague Samantha Adhoot for HB644. Gas powered leaf blowers are terrible for the climate, for the health of our citizens, and for the already out of control noise pollution of our city. Numbers talk. Edmunds, the car people, compared emissions of a two-stroke leaf blower (the leaf blower of choice for lawn care companies) with emissions of a Ford 150 Raptor. 2x the nitric oxides (the basic stuff of air pollution); 23x the carbon monoxide; and THREE HUNDRED x the non-methane hydrocarbons (the stuff the destroys the ozone layer)! Just like the cars before catalytic converters, these machines should no longer have a place in our community.

Please pass this bill and forbid leaf blowers. There are ordinance for loud cars, flight patterns so they don't disturb neighborhoods with their noise, but nothing on leaf blowers, which are just as loud or even louder. Where I am (Hollin Hills) is unbearable during some times of the year. During Fall, for the entire season, it is hard to spend 20 min without the sound of the machines. It is such a disturbance that I made a point to count the time of silence, which is minimal. I work from home and want to work from the deck when the weather is nice, but the crews with leaf blowers, even far away, cause so much noise that it is impossible to enjoy the nature that surrounds me, hear the birds or my own thoughts. What happened to raking? Or even better, leaving the leaves for wildlife and nutrients for the soil? There should be rules so those who want their yards free of leaves don't get that at the cost of others' peace. Or the cost of the crew members health, since the fumes released by those machines are extremely poisonous for people and the environment. My garden is as natural as possible, I leave the leaves, and I don't make others hear loud leaf blowers. I wish I didn't have to put up with noises that are totally unnecessary since there is raking or even better and more silent leaf blowers, such as the electric ones.

I write in support of allowing local governments to limit or prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers. This has become a true quality of life issue. A single blower within half a mile is enough to destroy the neighborhood peace, let alone the squads of two or three routinely deployed by landscaping teams. It seems that the ear-piercing machines (which certainly violate noise ordinances) are the “hammers” to which all things are the “nails.” The result is people confined to the indoors and unable to enjoy a nice day until the infernal noise is gone. Surely other options exist for getting the job done without making the surrounding neighborhood suffer. Thanks.

I'm note sure we even need leaf blowers, research has shown that mulching leaves or just leaving them where they fall is better for ecosystems and habitat creation. Mowing leaves or simply raking are much better solutions. But I understand that people like clean yards so if leaf blowers are needed let's please acknowledge our need to divest from fossil fuels and switch to electric leaf blowers. Electric blowers are far better from a pollutant standpoint and release no gas or oil fumes into the air, are generally quieter and less obnoxious. As someone who lives in a condo complex with a contracted landscaping crew that invades our space, sometimes weekly, I have to pause what I'm doing until they pass because the noise is so great. I cannot be on work calls or engage in anything productive until the whole crew passes by. And if my windows are open I will run around the house closing them to try to mitigate the horrible fumes. The crew uses leaf blowers in every season except winter and even blows tiny grass clippings and dirt around. Gas-powered leaf blowers are just no necessary anymore and we should not encourage the sale or manufacture of them anymore. Thank you.

This bill and its companion Senate bill are absolutely necessary for localities to be able to regain control of their environment. The noise and air pollution from gas-powered leaf blowers is horrendous. I appreciate lawn care companies find them convenient, but that convenience comes at the expense of the noise and air pollution foisted on neighbors and neighborhoods. They should not have to bear such costs particularly when alternatives to gas-powered leaf blowers are available. This bill is needed so localities can properly regulate this harmful equipment. Thanks,

Gas powered leaf blowers are an assault on one's hearing and mental health. Several residents of my neighborhood (Quaker Hill) have contracts with landscapers that have as many as five blowers going at once on their small lawns. They also go over pavement and street to get to the next house with farm size lawnmowers and dangling leaf blowers. Workmen have ear protection; residents do not

Please pass HB644! Prohibit gas powered leaf blowing in Alexandria. Gas powered leaf blowers around Alexandria unnecessarily make way too much noise and are bothersome to me and my family and neighbors. Please prohibit, don’t just conditionally regulate.

Pass HB644 without delay! I strongly support passing this bill. I am a homeowner in the Del Ray neighborhood and the noise pollution of gas powered leaf blowers is unacceptable and unnecessary. That’s not to mention the unnecessary emissions. The noise is heard for blocks and is disturbing enough to where I can’t sit in my living room without having the drone of leaf blowers from two blocks away compete with my own tv. There’s just no need for it and can easily be addressed and bring some peace to everyone - including those who are using them for work!

Please pass this legislation to prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers and/or enable regulation. My community of Alexandria City is besieged by the loud sounds of gas-powered leaf blowers year round. The noise is a frequent disrupter of work-related projects and calls for me during the work week (I work primarily from home) and peace and quiet during the weekends. We have an electric blower that makes much less noise and activates less particulate matter. Gas-powered blowers are dangerous to the health of those who use them and disruptive of peace in our neighborhoods.

I strongly support HB644, Gas-powered leaf blowers; local prohibition or regulation. This bill should become law asap to eliminate noisy, polluting gas powered landscaping equipment. This law would give jurisdiction the opportunity to reduce fossil fuel CO2 emissions in our neighborhoods, and reduce noise pollution as well. The noise is unnecessarily intrusive and harmful to residents, animals both wildlife and domestic pets, as well as to employees of yard service providers who are forced to use them. There are other, safer and better alternatives available that do not have to be expensive to lawn service and landscape providers at all. For example: 1) Tow-behind lawn sweepers - Removing leaves and other debris from a lawn big enough to require a riding mower is a massive project. A tow-behind lawn sweeper attaches to the mower with a hitch and picks up whatever is driven over. The collection vessel needs to be emptied as you go, but it's a great improvement vs dealing with clouds of oily smoke. 2) Push-powered leaf collectors, also sometimes called lawn sweepers. Unlike the ones that attach to a tractor or mower, they are operated almost exactly like a push mower. They’re basically a big basket on wheels; as they are pushed over the lawn, the sweeper collects leaves and other debris in the basket. Landscape and lawn service vendors should be allowed time to make equipment changeovers. But today, gas-powered leaf and grass clipping blowers are the equivalent of using a manual switchboard for ancient telephone technology. They have got to go!

These machines are horrible for human beings and for our environment. For starters, the noise is unbearable and extremely unhealthy. I work from home and these machines drive me absolutely insane. Landscapers show up with at least two of these things to blow little grass clippings off a lawn, which is just stupid. They could sweep this little bit of so called "dirt" way faster than blowing it all over the road. The pollution they emit is worse than many of our cars. We are living in the middle of climate change and biodiversity loss, yet we allow landscapers to do whatever they want in the name of freedom. What about my freedom from unhealthy pollution, both from noise pollution and carbon emissions? And I don't want to hear that this is some woke liberal. This is my health, our health, all of us are affected by these things. Why can't the landscaping industry move to electric, just like the automobile industry is doing with hybrid and electric cars. And use a broom from time to time. The lawns in Del Ray are tiny. You don't need this polluting machine to blow around dirt and grass clippings and remove every leaf from a yard. The majority of folks in my area want these things gone. Do the right thing. Thank you for listening.

I support HB 644. Localities should be able to pass common sense regulations on gas powered leaf blowers. Gas powered leaf blowers have a negative impact on the air we breathe and quality of life for suburban and urban communities around the Commonwealth.

These should have been banned long ago. Not only do they make an outrageous amount of noise and pollution from their engines, but in fact most of the year their main function is simply kicking up clouds of grass clippings and dust. That dust from yards and streets inevitably includes pesticides, fertilizers, dried animal urine and feces, petroleum products and who-knows-what else that got dropped on the ground and pulverized over time. This cloud is then blown over into neighboring properties and onto anyone downwind. I have read that opponents are trying to turn this into a left-vs-right political issue. It is not. It is common sense. Take it from a hard political centrist.

HB 644 Gas-powered leaf blowers; local prohibition or regulation - This bill should become law. Gas powered landscaping equipment is the low-hanging fruit of reducing fossil fuel CO2 emissions. Nuisance noise reduction and lowered health risk for landscaping workers are bonuses.

Please allow localities to place restrictions on gas powered leaf blowers! They are noisy and contribute to climate change. With electric ones readily available now, there is no reason any government jurisdiction should not be using electric. Thank you.

Please, please support this bill. The outrageous noise from these machines is causing misery for residents in suburban and urban areas across the state. I work from home 2 days a week. My home has five neighbors within 50 feet that use landscaping companies that come every two weeks. Between March and December, these machines are blowing at 100dB, far above permitted noise limits from other sources, just feet from my home, making it impossible for me to read or write or speak on calls. It goes on for 1-2 hours most days per week, 9-10 months per year, costing me innumerable hours of productivity. The machines are not blowing large quantities of leaves except for 1-2 months in the fall. The rest of the year they are just sweeping away grass clippings and debris off sidewalks and patios. Jobs which require very little force. The level of noise from these machines, and the frequency with which they are used by landscaping companies, is simply not tenable in urban settings. Please give localities the authority to protect their citizens from this scourge.

Please support HB 644 for the environment, the public's health and our children's future. Thank you!

I SUPPORT HB208, 281, 634, and 644. Gas-powered leaf blowers are an environmental scourge and I'm thankful that a bill has been written to allow localities to restrict them. I wish the Commonwealth of Virginia could just ban them outright. I wholeheartedly support repurposing office buildings to serve as childcare centers.

Please, please pass this bill!! HB644 is a bill that is way, way overdue! Gas powered leaf blowers are relics of the past that should have been banned years ago. They are two stroke engines that produce immense amounts of pollutants into our atmosphere, contaminating our air and contributing to global warming but which are completely unregulated. We cannot drive cars that emit excess pollution yet these gas powered leaf blowers are everywhere and totally unregulated. This makes no sense at all especially when battery operated, quieter leaf blowers are readily available. More generally, the use of leaf blowers everywhere should be discouraged as they disturb the insect and bug populations that use leaves for winter habitat and that are food for birds. Insect, bug and bird populations are all decreasing: we need to take much more care of our natural environment which leaf blowers are decimating.

Please support Bill HB644 to protect our citizens from the dangers of using Gas Leaf Blowers. The hydrocarbons and CO2 found in the particulates released by these blowers are polluting the air and pose health risks for many. Along with this threat , the noise pollution and soil erosion add to the lessening of the quality of life and the risk of the ever increasing climate change we are facing. By switching to battery powered blowers , we will all benefit from the peace of mind and health benefits that will follow.

FACC supports bill HB 644 for a number of reasons ranging from their effects on producing high particulate air pollution, noise disruption, to the consequences of scouring surfaces driving soil erosion and the high carbon footprint of gas leaf blowers of which 30 minutes of use is equivalent to driving 2,200 miles at 30 mph. Personal gas motors are a major area of carbon emitting devices that lack sufficient regulation and oversight in addressing the climate crisis.

Please support HB 644. The air and noise pollution from gasoline leaf blowers are inexcusable, when quieter, safer, cleaner, and ultimately cheaper technologies already exist. Passage of this bill into law will benefit the public good, residential and commercial area quality of life, and the ecosystem; and would be an important health protection, including for equipment users.

Please support HB 644. Gas-powered leaf blowers are painfully noisy. They rattle the nerves. Furthermore, they pollute. The particles expelled through the exhaust linger in the air and can affect human health.

Lease pass a bill to control leaf blowers.

Honorable Delegates, I am writing to request that you support Delegate Sullivan's HB 644, to permit counties and cities to ban or regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. The majority of such blowers have two-stroke gasoline engines, an old and inefficient technology that produces a variety of pollutants and other hazardous emissions. Two-stroke engines fail to combust 30% of their fuel, and emit 23 times the carbon monoxide and 300 times more hydrocarbons per hour than a Ford F-150. In addition to adding massive amounts of carbon to the atmosphere, they are pose a risk of lung disease to users, particularly to landscaping workers who must use them several hours a day. In addition to their hazardous exhaust emissions, gas-powered leaf blowers are much louder than battery powered leaf blowers, averaging 80-90 decibels versus 60-70. That may not seem like much, but the decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that ten decibels louder is ten times as loud. Using gas-powered leaf blowers puts users at risk of hearing loss and tinnitus. Their low frequency sound travels far, easily penetrating walls and disturbing those at home and work, as well as wildlife. Thanks to advancing technology, battery-powered leaf blowers are now effective for commercial and residential use. The initial cost of acquiring battery-powered equipment is soon recouped by their much lower ongoing maintenance costs. Across the country states and localities are making the transition to battery-powered leaf blowers through bans, regulations and/or incentivization programs. In Virginia, many urban and suburban localities are ready to make the transition, and are already doing so with their municipal equipment. HB 644 provides localities a tool to move their communities from use of obsolete two-stroke engine technology to clean electric technology. Sincerely, Jim Gillespie Fairfax

I urge you to support HB644. Local jurisdictions need the ability to regulate gas-powered leaf blowers because they are a serious detriment to public health and to the environment. Our community is already out of compliance on air quality standards. Good alternatives are already on the market. This bill will allow jurisdictions to incentivize that transition. Sincerely, Natasha Atkins

I STRONGLY SUPPORT this legislation as a long-overdue measure to give local communities the power to protect the health and safety of their constituents. Each community is different, with different levels of housing density, environment, demographics, business enterprises, and each should be afforded the power to decide what level of noise and pollution abatement is appropriate. I find the gas-powered leaf blowers (GPLBs) to be highly disruptive of work and my enjoyment of the neighborhood, and given the opportunity I will ask the city of Richmond to ban or highly restrict their use. Other more rural communities with larger lot sizes or different types of economic activities may see fit to allow their use. One size does not fit all, which is why communities across the commonwealth have extant powers such as zoning regulations, rules about housing upkeep, and noise ordinances. In the case of gas-powered leaf blowers, however, communities have found that it is too difficult for police to enforce noise ordinances - the only solution to restoring peace and relative quiet in our neighborhoods is a ban on GPLBs. While I appreciate that lawn care companies and the homeowners that use them will be affected such rules, I am convinced that the changes can be absorbed. Lawn care companies can switch to battery-powered blowers, mulching with lawn mowers, raking, or leaving some leaves to improve habitats for critical pollinators. I would support economic incentives to help lawn care companies re-equip with batter powered blowers. Homeowners may find that they would rather pay for a few more costly cleanups per year than the terrible, noisy, unnecessary model of attacking each lawn weekly with an army of polluting leaf blowers. As has happened in communities that have banned GPLBs, workers will still find plenty of work on lawns but without the fumes that damage their lungs and the noise that damages their ears. I reject any argument that homeowners have the right to do whatever they want on their properties. That has never been a principle in U.S. law. Most urban communities have restrictions on animal husbandry (chicken coops, pig sties!), on what type of business can be conducted from homes (so to spare neighbors from noise or pollution or commercial traffic on their street), on noise, etc. We are a country that defends individual liberty but that also recognizes those liberties don't extend to imposing pollution, noise, or other harms on neighbors. Gas powered leaf blowers impose real harms - studies show physiological and psychological harm from the penetrating noise, and localized fumes and pollutants can be quite dangerous for children, the elderly, or persons with underlying physical conditions. It is absurd that Virginia's communities cannot act to protect vulnerable citizens from these harms. It needs to change, and this legislation is a start.

Please support HB 644. The deleterious health & environmental impacts of gas powered leaf blowers, not to mention the noise pollution, should be unacceptable to our society & community, especially when we have alternatives like rakes. Even in neighborhoods with ½ acre properties, the sound of a gas powered leaf blower can be heard a block away, forcing people into their homes to wear noise-cancelling headphones that never truly block the deafening noise. Furthermore, it’s unconscionable that lawn crew spend full days exposed to this noxious gas & ear-splitting sound. We can do better. We must do better.

Please support HB 644. Multiple lawn-service companies use gas-powered leaf blowers in their yard maintenance in this area, with the result that the noise is practically unremitting beginning around 8 am from March through November, Monday through Friday. Some companies work on Saturdays as well. Sometimes I have to leave my house to get away from the noise because it just gets too stressful. In the fall, particularly, the leaf mold thrown up by these leaf blowers penetrates into my house, causing respiratory problems. I realize it would create an initial burden for lawn-care companies to use an alternative to these gas-powered leaf blowers, but I am sure a solution can be found if the will is there. These leaf-blowers are nerve-wrackingly noisy; they spew pollutants; they are unhealthy for the workers operating them and for the residents who have to breathe what they emit and kick up. Please support this bill. Thank you.

Gas-powered leaf blowers emit noise at 100 dB, that is equivalent to a bulldozer, impact wrench, or motorcycle.  While a motorcycle may be loud for seconds as it passes by on your street, Gasoline-powered Leaf Blowers are used for long lengths of time, in close proximity to your home. Most of us can agree that we are a captive audience when it comes to gasoline-powered leaf blowers. On any given day of the week there can be 3 or 4 workers using gas-powered leaf blowers at the same time in a neighbor's yard. Gasoline-powered Leaf Blowers exceed the stated maximum noise limit by Alexandria City Code, but the City is powerless to regulate such machines. When asked, neighbors agree Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers are horrible and should be phased out. We ask that you help eliminate the noise and filth spread by Gas-powered leaf blowers.

Please support HB644. This proposed legislation would permit localities in Virginia to ban or regulate gas-powered leaf blowers. These devices are extremely noisy, adversely affecting both those who use these devices and the quality of life in the neighborhoods where they are used. They also emit toxic gases, creating health and environmental hazards. Please support this bill, which would enable counties and cities in Virginia to join the many jurisdictions across the country that have already taken the step to encourage the transition to electric blowers.

Please support HB 644. Gas-powered leaf blowers (GLB) endanger the health of people and our ever-more fragile planet. Transitioning away from GLB reduces dangerously high levels of air and noise pollution. Among the advantages, this switch will reduce use of fossil fuels and add to quality of life. Core needs. Thank you for leadership on an issue that directly impacts people and the environment!

Please support HB644 (and urge your Senate colleagues to support SB305): “Local prohibition or regulation of gas-powered leaf blowers.” The excessive noise from gas-powered leaf blowers (GLBs) used nearly year-round by neighbors all around me — often not even to blow leaves but rather to chase grass clippings to the curb and to blow dirt off of sidewalks — has been driving me to distraction. The terrible fumes have been choking me on days that are ‘code orange/red.’ And there is no escaping them as the low frequency sound waves (as opposed to the high frequency ones of electric leaf blowers) penetrate the walls of houses even hundreds of feet away. Having investigated these terrible machines, I have learned that they are indeed injurious to my health and welfare, to our environment, and even to the climate. Leaf blower noise has been shown to: damage hearing (they run at some 100 decibels which is 15 times louder than the 85 decibels at which the World Health Organization says hearing can be permanently damaged), raise blood pressure, disrupt concentration, interfere with children’s learning, and even impact mental health. And that is not all! Emissions from two-stroke GLBs include known carcinogens, including benzene, butadiene, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde. Operating the best-selling commercial GLB for one hour emits as much smog-forming pollution as driving a light-duty passenger car about 1,100 miles, or about the distance from Los Angeles to Denver, according to the California Air Resources Board. [https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/sore-small-engine-fact-sheet]. Their blast of air (up to 190 mph) stirs up all manner of stuff that is bad for us to breathe (think animal feces, pesticide residue) and destroys pollinator habitat. Battery-powered lawn & garden equipment requires fewer repairs, is cheaper to operate (no purchases of gas, oil, filters), and lasts years longer than gas-powered equipment which typically requires major repair/replacement after three years. The return on investment is 3-5 years according to landscaping experts at American Green Zone Alliance. Customers are increasingly looking for landscapers who use electric-powered equipment. Sadly, my locality cannot regulate GLBs because of the Dillon Rule and I am completely at the mercy of my neighbors’ landscapers. HB 644 would give freedom to those localities that choose to use it. PLEASE give me back my life and liberty and allow me to pursue my happiness!

I urge you to consider supporting HB 644 Gas leaf blowers are a constant strain in the quality of life for residents in Fairfax City. From neighbors to lawn care companies who use them relentlessly; no matter what time of day or for as long a duration as they feel necessary; there’s a solution. Electric blowers- which are less harmful to the environment, not as loud, and they get the job done. (I have one myself I use.). Thank you for your consideration on this important issue.

Please support HB 644. My Town is besieged by the public NUISANCE of filthy, polluting, unhealthy, very loud leaf blowers ALL DAY.

Please pass legislation banning gas- powered leaf blowers. They are a constant assault on our quality of life; harmful to the environment with the gas emissions and other negative impacts ;and challenge the noise ordinance. There is also an electric-powered alternative available; so why not ban the harmful gas version, where everyone wins? The environment wins- and people who live in Fairfax City win. Thank you for your careful consideration.

Please pass this important bill. Allow the local counties to regulate these gas powered leaf blowers. We need to do everything we can to assure clean air for our grandchildren. Also the noise they generate is disturbing our peace of mind. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the gross overuse of these; blowing nothing but dust and pollen around, for what purpose? So our driveway is clean of pollen? Leave the pollen, dust and leaves where they are. That does no harm. I'd much rather have clean air to breathe and quiet surroundings.

Gas leaf blowers are so loud and polluting. I'd love for my community to be able to be allowed to consider banning or restricting them.

I support giving localities the power to ban gas fired lawn equipment, particularly leaf blowers which emit harmful levels of air pollutants as well as harmful levels of noise that can cause deafness in the operator as well as those nearby. For those of us in urban Northern Virginia and many more of us working at home or stuck at home during the pandemic are tormented daily and throughout the year with leaf blowers most operated by commercial landscapers. There are many cost effective electric blowers and mowers on the market today. The cost of operating and maintaining an electric blower/mower is less than the gas model both because electricity is cheaper than gasoline, but because electric motors will last for many decades without any maintenance. Gas models last often fewer than 3 years and need maintenance. 173 people signed my Moveon.org petition to the Arlington County Board in December 2020 asking for a ban on gas blowers and mowers. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/ban-gas-blowers-and-mowers-in-arlington-va-for-a-quiet-healthier-community

Please support this bill to help improve our quality of life and environment. In a city with adjacent properties each using vendors with gas powered leaf blowers it’s extremely noisy multiple times a week. Vendors blow leaves back and forth to adjacent properties. It’s like volley ball with leaves. Using battery operated blowers would reduce the noise.

When I want to open my windows , go for a walk, sit on my patio or even talk on my phone, many days the horrid grating sound of gas leaf blowers will change my decision. Did you ever try to talk to your neighbor when there is an active leaf blower anywhere near you! You can’t. This tool has affected all urban communities negatively in one way or the other.. There is the pollution, noxious gas, same as a 1950 8 cylinder car that is no longer legal because of the pollution. And then there are the birds who have to sing louder to connect to their partners, otherwise no contact can be made, which affects mating season. And then there is the micro organism that gets blown into your face or house or yard, killing all that was within, such as bees, moths, worms, and more. Please pass this bill to give the city of Alexandria the right to make laws to control the machine and make our lives better.

When I want to open my windows , go for a walk, sit on my patio or even talk on my phone, many days the horrid grating sound of gas leaf blowers will change my decision. Did you ever try to talk to your neighbor when there is an active leaf blower anywhere near you! You can’t. This tool has affected all urban communities negatively in one way or the other.. There is the pollution, noxious gas, same as a 1950 8 cylinder car that is no longer legal because of the pollution. And then there are the birds who have to sing louder to connect to their partners, otherwise no contact can be made, which affects mating season. And then there is the micro organism that gets blown into your face or house or yard, killing all that was within, such as bees, moths, worms, and more. Please pass this bill to give the city of Alexandria the right to make laws to control the machine and make our lives better.

Please support HB 644. Using gas leaf blowers is not a big ticket item like education, transport, crime, jobs, housing, climate change, health care, and gun violence. So constituents are unlikely to bring it up. However, it does raise a significant quality of life issue. You might ask what is happiness. Many will say it's just spending time with family and friends or relaxing by oneself out in one's yard or deck. Well, it is these very activities that gas leaf blowers undermine, disrupting conversations with our loved ones, driving a wall of loud noise between one person and the next, one thought and the next. Family dinners, children's parties, even small weddings - no event is spared! Also consider that the high levels of pollution from the typically 2-stroke engines of gas-powered leaf blowers are not healthy for landscape crews. Using gas leaf blowers may be a cost-effective way for homeowners to get their yards looking the way they like them to, but at what cost to landscape workers? At what cost to neighbors?

Virginia rightly prides itself on its historic role in the development of the United States and maintains many historic structures for the enjoyment and education of current and future generations. Yet the burgeoning population of urban areas of the state has led to the erasure of older structures in the race among developers to make more money along with high-minded, if largely unsuccessful, efforts to squeeze in affordable housing. Not everything merits historic preservation, of course, but without the kind of process contemplated in HB 1395, those structures and locations that do merit preservation will not gain protection. At some point, private property rights should not automatically trump preservation of our common heritage. Please vote yes on HB 1395.

I strongly urge the House of Delegates to approve HB1395, sponsored by Delegate Patrick Hope. These two modest amendments to State Historic Preservation Law will have major impact on future efforts state-wide to protect and preserve historic properties. Element 1 will ensure that demolition of any property under consideration for local historic district designation CAN NOT take place unless and until the local historic district designation application process has been fully completed and voted on by the local governing entity. Element 2 will give standing to, and allow any citizen in the local district, to appeal any adverse decision regarding local historic district designation through the courts system. While simple, straightforward and modest, approval and enactment will ensure that future actions regarding local historic district designation are fair, honest, open, and rational. Approval will open the appeal process through the courts system to any local citizen, a right guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Any local citizen will have "standing" for an appeal to any adverse decision by the local government regarding an application for local historic district designation. If approved, this Bill will prevent the type of disaster that occurred in Arlington in 2020. At that time, the historic 1855 Febrey-Lothrop-Rouse mansion in Arlington and 9.5 acres of land around it, were totally demolished and destroyed. This was directly due to the fact that the application for local historic district designation for this historically significant site was still in process through the Arlington County government, and had not been completed or voted on as required, prior to a demolition permit being issued, and the entire site being destroyed, demolished, permanently lost. Forever lost were the main house built largely by the labor of enslaved people (true craftsmen, carpenters, stonemasons, etc.) in 1855, a large guest house, several large barns and outbuildings, tennis court, in-ground swimming pool, cabana, and numerous 150+ year old magnolia and oak trees. This site was considered historically significant because during the Civil War, over 35,000 Union soldiers camped, trained and drilled here from 1862-1865 on this actual site. The site was known to be a major source for finding Civil War artifacts, such as buttons, bullets, canteens, belt buckles, bayonets, etc. etc. All of this buried treasure is now lost forever. Approval of HB1395 will help significantly to prevent such disasters from occurring again, anywhere in the State of Virginia, and will give every citizen in the local jurisdiction the right of appeal to any adverse decision by the applicable local governing body. I urge all Delegates to vote in favor of HB1395. Thank you very much. Tom Dickinson Past President, 16 year member of the Board of Directors, Arlington Historical Society Founding Director, Preservation Arlington Board of Directors, Arlington Heritage Alliance Founder, Save Historic Arlington

I support this 100%. Vacant building can result in neighborhood blight and owners need to register these buildings and account for them.

Virginia First Cities Coalition is supportive of HB 1486, as it would permit any county, city, or town to require, by ordinance, the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to register such building annually. Under current law, any city and certain towns are permitted to require the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law to register such building annually. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission. It is supported by the Virginia First Cities Housing Access group as it is viewed as being a helpful tool as we seek to eliminate blight from our communities.