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You're receiving this message because your submission to the Providence Noise Project's Community Noise Survey indicated that leafblowers are a prevalent source of noise near your home. We recently created a separate list as part of our work in promoting leafblower regulations in Providence and at the state level. If you prefer not to be included on the new leafblower list, just let us know and you won't receive additional messages from that list.
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The Rhode Island House of Representatives recently introduced a new bill to regulate leafblowers called the "Zero-Emissions Lawn Care Devices Act" (H-5549), and the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee is holding its first hearing on the bill this Thursday, March 9, starting at 5:00 p.m. (See the full hearing agenda here.)
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The new leafblower bill will:
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- Require all lawncare devices sold in Rhode Island after Jan. 1, 2025, to produce zero emissions, and all lawncare devices used in the state to produce no emissions by 2028. Zero-emission equipment uses electric motors powered by batteries, instead of combustion engines that burn a mixture of gas and oil and emit noise and air pollution.
- Create a rebate program to help ease and hasten state residents' and businesses' transition to cleaner and more sustainable zero-emission technology
- Outline enforcement mechanisms and penalties for failing to implement the new regulations, to make the process easier and more straightforward
Rhode Island residents who care about noise and other unhealthy and environmentally unsustainable effects of leafblower pollution need to show their support for the new bill by:
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Some potential talking points to include in your testimony:
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- The engines used in gas-fueled lawnmowers, leaf- and snowblowers, and trimmers lack the type of emission controls of passenger vehicles* and thus are extremely loud (80–100 decibels) and polluting, subjecting those in their vicinity to disproportionately high emissions linked to cancer, respiratory illnesses, and cardiovascular disease.
- We cannot address Rhode Island's high rates of asthma and ozone pollution, or curtail our use of fossil fuels as required under RI's 2022 Act on Climate law, without limiting the continued sale and use of gas-burning lawncare tools.
- It is an issue of both employee health and safety and environmental justice in the lawncare industry, where outdoor workers — disproportionately low-skilled immigrant and minority laborers — are exposed to dangerous amounts of noise and air pollution.
- Quieter and healthier alternatives are available: Lawncare equipment manufacturers already offer electric-powered products for both residential and commercial uses, and more and more lawncare companies are offering sustainable landscaping services.
- Other cities and states are already ahead of RI in the transition to healthy lawncare: Washington DC passed a 3-year phase-out of gas-fueled leafblowers in 2022, and California is requiring zero-emissions lawncare devices by 2024. Just like California's vehicle-emissions mandates helped spur the transition to electric vehicles, its lawncare rules will expand the growing market for more sustainable lawncare tools.
- In contrast to other cities and states, RI's sustainable lawncare bill proposes a gradual five-year transition to cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable equipment that — like more efficient LED lightbulbs — will actually save residents and businesses money in terms of fuel costs, lower maintenance, and longevity over the long term.
* The California Air Resources Board estimates that air pollution from lawncare equipment in the state will exceed that from vehicles (which are more stringently regulated) by 2030.
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We appreciate your support for new leafblower regulations in Rhode Island, and for the Noise Project's other efforts to make our community a quieter and healthier place to live and work.
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“Noise is the new smoking”
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