There has been chatter in town over the past few weeks centered on a potential ban of gas powered leaf blowers. Despite some heated discussion, and concerns that a potential ordinance was imminent, however, enthusiasm for a ban never gained much traction among the Township Council.Local residents whose businesses would be negatively affected by the ban, which had been recommended by the Livingston Environmental Commission (LEC) to begin in a few years, were vocal detractors of such an ordinance. These business owners said that the technology to support commercial level battery powered equipment does not yet widely exist. The Township Council, at its most recent meeting, agreed, and said that they would not pursue a ban at this time, despite the LEC’s recommendation.There are passionate people on both sides of this issue, from members of LEC looking to improve the quality of life for residents, to local landscapers who live in town and say that such a ban would be catastrophic to their businesses.And make no mistake, there are real detriments caused by gas-powered landscaping equipment. They cause harm to our environment, to say nothing of the noise pollution they produce. But if the solutions to replace them do not yet exist on a large enough scale, what is the town to do? We certainly do not wish to push our local landscapers out of town, or worse, out of business entirely.Perhaps, soon, better battery powered and electrical equipment will be available. And, we guess, that just like with electric vehicles and solar paneled roofs, businesses that embrace these changes will be financially compensated in some way, through rebates and tax write-offs. We are certain that township officials would use such a potential opportunity to outfit our Department of Public Works with the environmentally-conscious equipment of the future. And, as Mayor Shawn Klein said at last week’s Council meeting, witnessing this action will be a cue for that future Council to take action.We should all do our part to be kind to the environment and to our neighbors. That means being willing to listen to their concerns and doing our best to accommodate them, within reason.Perhaps we can look into some compromises with this issue. Maybe shortening the length of time these loud machines can be used during a given day, or making a promise to re-investigate the potential of a ban in five years, would be a step in ...
