BLOWING BACK AT BLOWERS : COUNCIL MAY TURN LEAF ON GAS UNITS.Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer The Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. took the first step Tuesday toward
banning gas-powered leaf blowers by calling for an ordinance to outlaw
the noisy, dusty garden tools.
The council deadlocked on the issue three years ago. But on Tuesday, Councilman Marvin Braude Marvin Braude (August 11, 1920—December 7, 2005)served as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 11th district from 1965 to 1997. At various times Mr. Braude (pronounced BROW-dee) served as chair of the Finance and Revenue Committee, the Environmental Quality and Waste , with the help of a residents group headed by actor Peter Graves Peter Graves is the name of:
Graves, who starred for years as Jim Phelps Jim Phelps is a fictional character in the television program . He is portrayed by Peter Graves on television and by Jon Voight in the . On television He is the leader of the Impossible Missions Force or IMF. in the TV series ``Mission: Impossible,'' joined Braude and actress Meredith Baxter Meredith Baxter (born June 21, 1947 in South Pasadena, California) is an American actress. Her mother was the late actress and sitcom creator Whitney Blake, and her father is Tom Baxter, who worked in radio. Her stepfather is sitcom writer, Allan Manings. in saying the ban was needed to protect neighborhoods from noise and air pollution. ``The pollution is something we're hearing more about now,'' Graves told the council. ``Called particulates, (they're) minute particles in the air that get into our homes and our businesses and into our bodies.'' The council vote directs the city attorney to draft an ordinance that would prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers within 500 feet of residences starting in March 1997. Braude, who has campaigned for such a ban for four years, said that since the City Council last refused to restrict the devices, 42 other California cities have limited their use. ``There are serious health issues here,'' Braude told his colleagues. Studies show that particulate pollution, including dust and some types of exhaust, can shave up to two years from the lives of people living in highly polluted areas, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside County, and all of Orange county. . In the hopes of battling that problem, the district last week approved a program to try to entice businesses to accept consumers' old lawn and garden equipment - including leaf blowers - in return for emission reduction credits. Consumers, in return, would get some sort of discount on nonpolluting, electric gardening machines. No businesses have launched such a program, however. If approved by the council in a final vote in future weeks, the measure would replace the current restriction, which prohibits leaf blowers from operating louder than 65 decibels. Tuesday's action was opposed by several gardeners and by council members Mike Hernandez, Joel Wachs Joel Wachs served for several terms as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 2nd district. He was first elected by defeating incumbent James B. Potter. While in office, Wachs chaired the Public Works Committee and vice-chair of the Environmental Quality & Waste Management , Rudy Svorinich Jr. and Rita Walters. The opponents said the ban would affect the livelihood of those who are paid to take care of yards in residential areas. Walters said that forcing gardeners to use time-consuming electric blowers or brooms would reduce their effectiveness. Hernandez suggested that the issue pitted hard-working, low-income gardeners against the wealthy people who are unwilling to take care of their own yards. Braude said the measure would allow gardeners to continue using electric blowers, adding that they can be bought for $69. |
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