By Stefan Armington
Last year’s adopted Noise Ordinance stated the following:
WHEREAS, excessive sound is a serious hazard to the public health, welfare, safety, and the quality of life; and
WHEREAS, a substantial body of science and technology exists by which excessive sound may be substantially abated; and,
WHEREAS, the people of Morristown have a right to, and should be ensured of, an environment free from excessive sound,
I know the Council and Mayor believed in these goals when we adopted the Noise Ordinance with unanimous support in 2021. Now it appears we do not support these goals: At least not during the day.
Every year, there are a number of reported noise violations by the Town’s restaurants and bars.
I also know the Police Department shuts down weekend parties when neighbors complain.
However, I would argue that the biggest source of excessive noise in town is people’s use of motorized landscaping equipment. It happens every day between April and December. The Town’s DPW owns seven gas-powered leaf blowers that violate the Noise Ordinance every day.
It is a fact that no gas-powered leaf blower can be operated within 25 feet of a residential property without violating the Town’s Noise Ordinance. It is also a fact that it is very difficult to enforce the noise ordinance on gas-powered leaf blowers. Even when residents complain to the Town or the Police Department, the Town is generally unable to address the issue when the blower is still in operation.
Over the past couple of years of being forced to work from home or having children learn from home, a number of New Jersey municipalities have already realized and adopted legislation to address the overbearing impact of consistent and illegally loud noise disturbances generated by gas-powered leaf blowers.
This excess noise is what the Noise Ordinance refers to as a serious hazard to public health, welfare, safety and quality of life.
The ordinance that was introduced last month and subsequently pulled due to lack of support would not have solved the problem. It was meant to be a compromise bill that takes the first tiny step to get people to think about the problem of excessive noise, with as little inconvenience as possible, while working towards the goals of public health, welfare, safety, and the quality of life for a short period of time.
I know that many council members were opposed to the ordinance because their constituents believe that conformance to the Noise ordinance is inconvenient. Replacing gas-powered leaf blowers with battery-powered blowers will cost people money. However the technology exists to allow the same quality of work with electric powered blowers.
With the vote of No Confidence, the Council showed the public that it’s easier to do nothing to address the problem than to pass legislation that some people will be opposed to.
So we will kick this issue down the road, hoping that another governing body or group of citizens will be bold enough to take that difficult first step to address excessive noise and its effect on public health, welfare, safety, and quality of life.
Stefan Armington is president of the Morristown town council. He lives in the Third Ward.
Opinions expressed in commentaries are the authors’, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
What about lawnmowers, weedwackers, hedge trimmers? It is only the leaf blowers that are “ruining the quality of life” for some? Give me a freakin break.
I am very much in favor of moving toward clean, battery-operated lawn equipment ASAP. These tools can readily be purchased by homeowners as their current ones wear out or break. At present, I am not aware of battery-powered equipment that can meet the needs of commercial service providers, but feel we should encourage and support such a transition as the equipment becomes available.
I appreciate council president Armington bringing the conversation about limits on gas powered leaf blowers to the town council & to the public. The bothersome noise & degradation of air quality caused by gas powered leaf blowers has certainly caused a decline in the peace, the quiet and the general quality of life in the Morristown neighborhoods. Seems to me that a seasonal summer ban on gas powered leaf blowers would be for the time being an equitable middle ground for those on both sides of this issue. Additionally, it would be nice to see workers who use these leaf blowers wearing ear protection & masks to protect them from the noise & the waft of particulate matter they create. Finally, I suppose that it’s really only a matter of time, perhaps just a few more years, before the gas powered leaf blower goes the way of the plastic bag anyway.
P.S. – A technology that IS available that is inexpensive and personal choice: noise canceling headphones.
I’m pretty sure the town doesn’t have authority to force everyone to throw away their existing equipment and buy new. And it’s not just a matter of cost. It’s impractical and bad for the environment to fill landfills with perfectly functional equipment and buy expensive lithium and cadmium filled equipment. Gas powered lawn equipment has been used for generations – a few gallons of gas lasts an entire growing season in most cases. Imagine every property owner in town owning batteries… those batteries last only a couple of years (I know, I have all electric tools) and disposing of them safely is difficult and costly, and buying new batteries can cost as much as the equipment. We don’t have a means to support the life cycle of these batteries for the entire town. (We can barely deal with regular recyclables appropriately). So, while maybe the technology exists, it is not yet practical, cost effective, or environmentally friendly, and I’m certain that put to a vote (instead of just the whims of a few ) residents in the town would be perfectly happy simply dealing with the same noises they have for decades. If someone doesn’t like the noise, they can close the window, invest in soundproofing, or take a coffee break for the 30 minutes the gardeners are working next door.
What a lie. There are NO electric blowers that “provide the same quality of work” as gas powered blowers. Try to use an electric blower to blow leaves away in November on 1/2 acre property, let alone bigger lots. I would gladly buy an electric blower that would provide the same longevity and power but they simply do not exist. Stop lying!
Lol,.I do not believe this is a health situation but it is by far and long the most annoying noise in the world. Seems absurd that the average property should require 10 minutes (and what seems like an hour) of leaf blowing.
Good one, Stuck! It only works if a face mask is also worn and if you’re at least 6 feet from the blower. No sneaking up on it!
I read that there is a vaccine available with a efficacy of 40-60% that prevents individuals from becoming affected by leaf blower noise. However you will need a booster every 6-10 months. If anyone is interested let me know.
Please provide evidence of one verified public health crisis or an actual case where someone has been physically harmed or their safety otherwise compromised when sitting in their home while a leaf blower was running outside. Feel free to expand your search beyond Morristown to any town in NJ and/or any town in the entire country.