Visner blows off at blowers

Tel Aviv deputy mayor and green faction leader Pe'er Visner has asked all central cities to stop using electric blowers to clear away leaves and debris.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY
Tel Aviv deputy mayor and green faction leader Pe'er Visner has asked all central cities to stop using electric blowers to clear away leaves and debris, reports www.local.co.il. Visner says the blowers are too noisy and pollute the environment, citing an American study showing that one blower creates as much pollution as 17 cars. According to the report, 12 mayors from cities in the Sharon and Gush Dan areas recently signed a pact to reduce air pollution, and Visner has now asked those mayors to clamp down on the use of leaf-blowers. "One of the biggest sources of suffering for metropolitan residents is the leaf-blower, which creates clouds of dust, air pollution and noise, and its contribution to the cleanliness of streets is zero," Visner said. Visner said the blowers might save manpower, but the price in health and environmental damage was too high. He said one blower produces 100 decibels of noise, five times the level permitted by law. And because the machines rotate at 225 kilometers per hour, and that as well as lifting dust they lift particles of toxic substances from the roads and sidewalks, such as metal, lead, nickel, chrome and mercury. These particles, says Visner, can be inhaled by innocent passers-by. "Residents want a clean city but not at this price," Visner said. "We can solve the problem without making noise, polluting, and harming the health of residents."