Quiet Orinda, a well-organized group that is trying to get their city to ban leaf blowers, has created a short documentary that it will air at the California Independent Film Festival in Orinda in April.
You can view a trailer of the documentary at the Quiet Orinda website.
"Quiet Orinda was formed in 2009 by a group of Orinda residents concerned about the problems of air and noise pollution caused by the widespread use of leaf blowers in our city. Our aim is to educate the citizens of Orinda about healthier alternatives to leaf blowers, and to promote legislation to encourage these alternatives. We invite you to join with us today; please click on the “Register” button on our home page."
The Quiet Orinda folks are also gathering signatures and provide a link to a new report by Clean Air California that describes the air and noise pollution consequences of having three million leaf blowers in the state: "The majority are gasoline-powered leaf blowers. If growth trends continue, soon there will be more than 6 million leaf blowers in California, at which time, air pollution, water pollution, blown dust, and noise, will be twice as bad as today."
Readers of this blog indicate that they are not thrilled by the noise these machines make around Walnut Creek. But a 1990 Walnut Creek ordinance allows leaf blowers to operate within city limits during certain times and under certain conditions. The ordinance covering leaf blowers is in Municipal Code, under Title 4 (Public Welfare, Morals and Conduct), Chapter 6 (Nuisances), Article 2.
Under "Prohibited Noises Enumerated," and Maintenance Equipment it states: "The use and operation of any noise-creating commercial or residential landscaping or home maintenance equipment or tools including, but not limited to, hammers, blowers, trimmers, mowers, chainsaws, power fans or any engine, the operation of which causes noise due to the explosion of operating gases or fluids, other than between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. (§1, Ord. 1753, eff. November 8, 1990)."
