FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano Promoting Use of Electric Powered Leaf Blowers At Yonkers City Hall

PRESS RELEASE: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced the launch of the city’s new electric leaf blower rebate program for Yonkers residents and landscapers.

YONKERS: To assist residents and lawn care professionals with converting their equipment to a quieter, healthier, and lower maintenance electric alternative, Yonkers residents now can receive a $50 rebate from the City for purchasing an electric leaf blower. Yonkers-based landscaping companies can apply for up to five rebates of $75 each per electric leaf blower purchased.

QUOTE: “We are doubling down on our efforts to reduce air and noise pollution in our City by encouraging residents and landscapers to use electric powered leaf blowers,” said Mayor Spano. “With this incentive plan, switching to cleaner, quieter lawn care equipment not only protects us from the health hazards of gas-powered blowers, but also can provide us a little extra savings. I encourage all to make the switch and help us in creating a greener, cleaner Yonkers.”

Yonkers city code bans the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, June 1- September 30. Gas-powered leaf blowers, along with other types of gas-powered maintenance equipment, pose significant environmental and health hazards to our communities and those who use them regularly.

Operating a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour has been reported to create as much smog-forming pollution as driving a car 1,100 miles, or from New York City to Tampa, FL. Gas-powered leaf blowers also present quality of life impacts resulting from the high-intensity sound levels they produce, which may also pose an increased risk of hearing loss to regular users.

Sound levels at distances of 100 to 400 feet have been found to be 22 decibels louder for gas-powered leaf blowers than their battery-electric equivalents.

Jason Baker, Chair of the Yonkers Green City Advisory Committee/Director of Sustainability, commented, “While leaves that fall on our lawns do not pose an environmental or public health risk to our communities, the use of gas-powered leaf blowers contributes to air pollution and excessive levels of noise. This program takes a consumer-friendly approach toward reducing these hazards by making environmentally preferable electric alternatives more accessible for outdoor maintenance.”

Funded through the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency (YIDA), rebate applications are available at www.yonkersny.gov/leafblowerrebate.

Rebates are limited and available until funds are exhausted.

Residents or landscapers can recycle gas-powered leaf blowers by dropping them off (empty of gas) at the Yonkers Recycling Center located at 735 Saw Mill Road, Yonkers, NY.

To report a violation to the City’s prohibition on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, please call Yonkers Code Enforcement (during regular business hours) at (914) 377-6669 or Yonkers Police Department at (914) 377-7900.