<p><strong>This is a petition to ban all leaf blowers in the City of Margate. In addition to the noise pollution they cause, leaf blowers are a danger to our health.</strong></p><p><strong>• Leaf blowers cause dog feces, bird feces, and other fecal matter to be air borne.</strong></p><p>• Leaf blowers cause dirt, urine, and pollen to take to the air we breathe.</p><p><strong>• Most dangerous are the spores from fungus that become airborne and stay in the air for hours. It is the equivalent of living in a house that has black mold.</strong></p><p>• To those who suffer from COPD and asthma, leaf blowers can be deadly.</p><p>• Children, who breathe the air closer to the ground, and the elderly are most vulnerable to the pollution caused by leaf blowers.</p><p><strong>• Many children have been diagnosed and even died from aspergillosis and other spore-related diseases after having played in areas where leaf blowers were used</strong>.</p><p>• Especially vulnerable are the elderly and disabled, who are closer to the ground due to wheelchairs and have generally weaker lungs.</p><p>• In areas where leaf blowers are used close to houses and on catwalks, the pollution enters the homes through open windows and doors. That pollution stays inside the home for days, causing additional harm.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to being a health hazard, leaf blowers blow dirt onto cars, often soiling a car that has recently been cleaned. This is costly to homeowners.</p><p> </p><p>Leaf blowers are an inefficient way of removing leaves. <strong>It has been proven that it takes as much time to rake and sweep leaves as it does to use a leaf blower.</strong> There are also other electric tools available that cause less air pollution, such as outdoor vacuums. When leaves are blown off streets or parking lots and onto grass areas, the leaves kill the grass, costing more money and work to repair those areas.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Banning leaf blowers does not require anyone to lose their job, or require additional labor.</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>Over 90 cities in the United States have successfully partially or completely banned leaf blowers. In those cities, property values have gone up and tourism has increased due to an association with good health.</strong> They include:</p><p>• Long Beach, CA</p><p>• Los Angeles, CA</p><p>• Huntington Beach, CA</p><p>• Palm Beach, FL</p><p>• New Rochelle, NY</p><p>• White Plains, NY</p><p>• Cambridge, MA</p><p>• Evanston, IL</p><p>• Greenwich, CT</p><p> </p><p>We hereby petition the City of Margate, FL, to pass legislation to ban the use of all leaf blowers.</p><p> </p>
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