L.A. bans leaf blowers

January 7, 1998
Web posted at: 6:03 a.m. EST (1103 GMT)

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- The Los Angeles City Council banned Tuesday the use of gas-powered leaf-blowers despite a hunger strike by gardeners who fear the ban will hurt their livelihood.

The council voted 9-6 to uphold the ban it orginally approved 13 months ago. The ban was delayed while council and police worked out how it would be enforced. The measure now must be approved by Mayor Richard Riordan.

Violating the ban can lead to a $100 fine plus $170 in court costs. The ban allows neighbors to call police if they hear noisy blowers, make a citizen's arrest and have homeowners warned not to hire gardeners who use gas-powered leaf-blowers.

Eleven gardeners said they will continue a four-day hunger strike to protest the ban, which they said unfairly targets mostly Mexican immigrants. They also claim the ban will cause them to lose money if they have to use slower and less powerful methods to do their work..

Supporters of the ban, led by former "Mission Impossible" television star Peter Graves, said the blowers are noisy and contribute to pollution.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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