Happy March!
HOORAY! We did it!
Yesterday, March 13, 2024, Portland City Council unanimously passed an ordinance phasing out gas-powered leaf blowers citywide over the next four years. (2-minute video of the 5-0 decision) Starting January 1, 2026, the devices will be prohibited for 9 months of the year (Jan-Sep). A full year-round ban will begin on January 1, 2028. For more details see this Oregonian article by Gosia Wozniacka.
The Quiet Clean PDX team offers a deep bow of gratitude for your support of our campaign. This victory was won through tenacious letter-writing, testifying, spreading of the word, outreach campaigns, and many other persistent advocacy efforts. Thank you!
While we didn’t get everything we wanted in the ordinance, such as an earlier start date, this is truly a historic moment. Portland is the largest municipality in land area to prohibit GLBs (nearly twice the size of the next largest city to do so, Oakland, CA), and the second largest in population after Washington, D.C.
Portland City Council and Multnomah County worked closely together on the development and implementation of this policy, a level of collaboration unlike any other such ordinance across the nation. It may make a great model for other local governments.
We’d like to especially recognize the leadership of Portland Commissioner Carmen Rubio, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and the late Portland Commissioner Nick Fish, who got the ball rolling on this in 2019. Much credit is also due to the hard work of staff at Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Multnomah County’s Office of Sustainability.
We look forward to a quieter, cleaner, and healthier Portland thanks to your advocacy!
Stay tuned for a deeper analysis and next steps.
With appreciation,
The QCPDX Steering Committee
Michael Hall, Albert Kaufman, Stan Penkin, Brian Stewart, Judy Walton, Tamara Olcott
PS - If you want to help spread the word please use the share buttons above or view as a web page link above! Thank you!
