To the editor:

A couple of weeks ago, one of your readers suggested that we provide the community with information about legislation that we’re sponsoring in the interest of transparency and civic education.

Thanks for the suggestion; please accept this letter as evidence of our commitment to these values and, if the editors permit, as the first of many updates.

Rep. Speakman in the lead sponsor, and Rep. Donovan a co-sponsor of a bill that requires that all lawn care devices used in Rhode Island be zero emission by 2027. This long “on ramp” is designed to give the technology the time to catch up with the need to reduce emissions. Meetings with landscapers tell us that battery technology is not quite ready for the kind of intensive, lengthy use that they need for a day’s work. And concerns about disposal of batteries, and of the gas-powered equipment, must be addressed as well, as must cost and efficiency. An incentive program to facilitate the transition to zero-emission technology must be part of any program.

This bill provides the time to address these issues, but also gets the Office of Energy Resources and other state agencies to work on the problem in an orderly, rational manner guided by consultation with the landscaping industry.

That said, it is imperative that we address the negative environmental and health impacts of these devices. Regarding leaf blowers, one study found that hydrocarbon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with a two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska in a Ford F-150. And these machines, because of the design of their engines, are extraordinarily loud, up to 100 decibels, which is about as loud as a big jet taking off. The emissions and the noise make blowers hazardous for anyone in their vicinity, but especially for the workers who use them all day.

Gas-powered lawn care machinery does not have the emissions controls that our cars now do. These machines emit formaldehyde, benzene, particulates, ozone, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The EPA estimates that a new gas powered lawn mower produces, in one hour, 11 times the amount of air pollution that a new car produces in the same amount of time.

For the workers who tend to our green spaces, for our children and grandkids, and for the future of the planet, it’s time to get to work on this issue.

If you have any questions or comments about this bill, please reach out to us at rep-donovan@rilegislature.gov and rep-speakman@rilegislature.gov

Susan Donovan, Representative, District 69
June Speakman, Representative, District 68