As of May 15, the use of backpack-mounted and hand-held gasoline-powered leaf blowers is banned in Evanston until Sept. 30.
Evanston’s ordinance, which was passed in 1996, is “seasonal” in that it allows those blowers to be used during the fall and spring clean-up seasons. Electric and battery-powered blowers may be used year-round.
To view or print out a copy of Evanston’s leaf blower regulations, go to https://www.cityofevanston.org/home/showdocument?id=11455
The use of all leaf blowers is objectionable to some residents, because of the amount of noise, air pollution and air born particulate matter that result from their use.
The local group Natural Habitat Evanston has recently been distributing door hanger flyers to educate building owners about the dangers the blowers present and the advantages to pollinators of leaving leaves in place.
(See also the recent RoundTable article “What’s Wrong With Leaf Blowers?”)