AP Photo This undated image released by the New York Botanical Garden shows Tyler Campbell mowing the grounds at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx borough of New York.

Gas-powered lawn equipment may be a relic before 2030 under legislation proposed in the state Senate.

S.7462, sponsored by Sen. Pete Harckham, D-Peekskill, all sales of lawn mowers, weed whackers or other trimmers, leaf vacuums, mulchers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and tree trimmers in New York state should be zero-emissions by 2027. Harckham wants the state Economic Development, Environmental Conservation and Public Service Commission, as well as other state and local agencies, to develop a plan by Jan. 1, 2023, to achieve his 2027 goal for zero-emission lawn care.

“According to the EPA Report “National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment”, this legislation would help combat global emissions and decrease our footprint,” Harckham wrote in his legislative justification. “The elimination of gas-powered lawn care devices will enhance the health of a community by terminating harmful exposure to toxic emissions and noise pollution. The enactment of this legislation will not only enhance the lives of the workers but will also move us towards New York’s National Leading Climate Target of 85W reduction in (greenhouse gas) emissions by 2050.”

Harckham’s bill is similar to California’s AB 1346, signed into law recently by California Gov. Gavin Newsome. The California bill and an earlier executive order by Newsome place a Jan. 1, 2024, ban on small gas-powered engines, though that ban doesn’t take effect until deemed feasible by California’s Air Resources Board.

Harckham’s legislation builds on legislation introduced earlier this year by Sen. John Liu, D-Bayside, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, D-Bronx, (S.1113/A.5375) to prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf and lawn blowers between May 1 and Sept. 30. Liu introduced the legislation in 2020 and reintroduced it recently.

Liu and Dinowitz say gas-powered leaf blowers pollute the environment through exhaust emissions, noise and particulates and dust blown into the air. They cite Department of Environmental Conservation statistics showing carbon monoxide emissions from gas-powered leaf blowers for one hour equalling carbon monoxide emissions from a car being driven for eight hours.

Leaf blowers, they say, push 300 to 700 cubic feet of air per minute at 150 to 280 miles an hour, with the resulting dust containing particles that include pollen and mold, animal feces, heavy metals and chemicals from herbicides and pesticides. Lastly, they say many leaf blowers on the market exceed 70 decibels at 50 feet. A leaf blower rated at 70 decibels at 50 feet may generate noise levels over 105 decibels at the operator’s ears.

“Much of the work done by gas powered leaf and lawn blowers is often unnecessary, and can be done by more environmentally friendly tools, such as a mulching mower. This bill aims to cut down on the careless usage of leaf blowers by restricting its usage as a landscaping tool in the non-fall months,” Liu and Dinowitz said in their legislative justification.

If the legislation passes, anyone who uses a gas-powered leaf or lawn blower from May 1 to Sept. 30 could be fined $100.