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U.S. NEWS Friday 21 June 2024
U.S. bans on gasoline-powered leaf blowers grow, as does

blowback from landscaping industry

By WAYNE PARRY to power cars and homes is
Associated Press drawing opposition from
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The business groups and numer-
roar of the leaf blower has ous device owners, the move
become an inescapable by government to force a
part of daily life in communi- switch to battery-powered
ties across America, leading leaf blowers has the indus-
towns and states to ban or try complaining of increased
restrict blowers that run on costs and decreased perfor-
gasoline. mance under the new regu-
But the measures face blow- lations. "My company, I have
back from the landscaping $150,000 to $200,000 worth of
industry and some property gas-powered blowers," said
owners who say that the Goldstein, head of the New
battery-powered blowers Jersey landscapers' group.
favored by the legislation "What am I supposed to do,
are costlier and not nearly throw them in the garbage?"
as effective as the gasoline- New Jersey's proposed bill,
powered ones. like others enacted in several
"If you look at what this ma- U.S. cities, would provide fi-
chines does, how loud it is, nancial assistance to the
how much it pollutes, it's Antonio Espinoza, a supervisor with the Gras Lawn landscaping company, uses a gasoline- industry to defray the cost
not normal to be accepted powered leaf blower to clean up around a housing development in Brick, N.J. on June 18, 2024. of purchasing new battery-
where we live, where our Associated Press powered blowers.
children play," said Jessica Cost is not the only concern,
Stolzberg, a writer and cru- leaf blowers has the indus- the industry says it is willing ban in California starts next Goldstein said. "It's retrofit-
sader against gas-powered try complaining of increased to make in the interest of still month, and similar measures ting your truck to be able
leaf blowers who helped get costs and decreased perfor- being able to use the more have passed in Washington, to charge batteries through-
a ban on the machines en- mance under the new regu- powerful gas-powered blow- D.C., Portland, Oregon; out the day," he said. "And
acted in her hometown of lations. Though several local ers when they are needed Montgomery County, Mary- by doing that, you'd have
Montclair, New Jersey. communities have already most. "New Jersey is bom- land; Burlington, Vermont; to keep your diesel engine
Since that ban took effect enacted full or partial bans barded with leaves and stuff and Evanston, Illinois, among running, and that causes
last October, "Montclair has on gas-powered leaf blow- to clean up," said Rich Gold- other places. another issue. This is just a
been a healthier, cleaner, ers, New Jersey is considering stein, president of the New Doug O'Malley, director of terrible idea."
quieter community," she said. banning them statewide. A Jersey Landscape Contrac- Environment New Jersey, He also said two-stroke en-
But the ban is being chal- state Senate committee on tors Association, representing said more than 100 cities gines, while less fuel-efficient
lenged in court by landscap- Thursday advanced a bill 550 companies in the state. across the U.S. have banned than four-stroke ones, can
ers, she added. that would ban such blowers "We're not California, we're or restricted gas-powered do things that the more ad-
Just as the push to move most of the year, but would not Florida. We have leaves. leaf blowers, which he called vanced models can't, such
away from burning fossil fu- allow ones using four-stroke The average house in New a major source of pollution. as being turned sideways to
els to power cars and homes combustion engines to be Jersey, you take away 30 to He said using such a blower reach into hard-to-access
is drawing opposition from used during peak cleanup 50 cubic feet of leaves each for an hour creates as much places. Maplewood, New
business groups and numer- periods in spring and fall. fall. That's a lot of leaves." pollution as driving a car for Jersey Mayor Nancy Adams
ous device owners, the move (Dirtier two-stroke models Gas-powered blowers are 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers). said her community banned
by government to force a would be phased out after being targeted by govern- But just as the push to move gas-powered blowers in Jan-
switch to battery-powered two years.) It's a compromise ments across the country. A away from burning fossil fuels uary 2023. q

WHO and Eli Lilly caution patients against falling for fake versions

of popular weight-loss drugs

The Associated Press online sales and social me- Novo Nordisk has issued
The World Health Organiza- dia posts involving phony similar warnings in the past
tion and drugmaker Eli Lilly or compounded versions about its medications.
and Co. are warning peo- of tirzepatide, the active WHO said patients can pro-
ple to be wary of fake ver- ingredient behind its drugs tect themselves by using
sions of popular weight-loss Mounjaro and Zepbound. prescriptions from licensed
and diabetes medicines. The Indianapolis-based physicians to buy the medi-
WHO said Thursday that company said it was the cations. The agency said
it has fielded several re- only lawful supplier of those patients also should avoid
ports of fake semaglutide drugs, and it does not pro- buying the drugs from un-
— the active ingredient vide tirzepatide to com- familiar sources.
in Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pounding pharmacies, Lilly said any products
and Ozempic — in all wellness centers or online marketed as tirzepatide
geographic regions of the retailers. and not Mounjaro or Zep-
world since 2022. Lilly said fake versions of its bound were not made by
Lilly said in an open letter drugs frequently advertised the drugmaker and are not This photo combo provided by the FDA shows an authentic
that it was "deeply con- or sold online are never approved by the U.S. Food Ozempic needle, left and a counterfeit needle, right.
Associated Press
cerned" about growing safe to use. and Drug Administration.q