Starting today, full enforcement of Miami Beach’s gasoline-powered leaf blower ban has begun as part of the city’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Initial violations in a 12-month period carry a $250 fine while the second violation in a 12-month period carries a $500 fine. The third violation and each additional violation in a 12-month period carries a $1,000 fine.

The ordinance was sponsored by late Commissioner Mark Samuelian and co-sponsored by Commissioners Alex Fernandez, Steven Meiner and David Richardson. It was approved unanimously in January 2022 and rolled out in a phased implementation. This included a nine-month educational period from Feb. 1, 2022 – Oct. 31, 2022 followed by a nine-month warning period from Nov. 1, 2022 to Jul. 31, 2023.

“There are so many benefits for transitioning away from gas-powered leaf blowers, including less noise, air pollution and no longer needing to utilize gas and oil,” shared Chief Resilience Officer Amy Knowles. “This is also a way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Miami Beach Public Works Department has already transitioned away from using gasoline-powered leaf blowers as have third-party landscaping contractors that work for the city. The city has worked with local hardware stores to establish community discounts on qualifying electric or battery-powered leaf blowers. Visit www.mbrisingabove.com/leafblowers for more information.

An estimated two ounces of gasoline are spilled every time a gas-powered leaf blower is filled. The California Air Resources Board reported that running a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour emits the same amount of pollution as driving a light-duty passenger vehicle for approximately 1,100 miles. Gas-powered leaf blowers have also been the source of numerous noise complaints in Miami Beach and other cities around the country.

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