How did we become PA’s first?

 Gas-powered leaf blowers (GPLBs) in Lower Merion met their match on November 19, 2025. The 14 members of the Board of Commissioners (BOC) had heard a growing chorus of demands for prohibiting them from residents and from their Environmental Advisory Council, animated mainly by the awful intrusion of noise that diminished the quality of life in this leafy Philadelphia suburb.  

For years there were BOC members who had sought such an ordinance, and there were those adamantly against it. In March 2025, a group of over 60 loosely organized citizens attended a BOC meeting and a dozen gave testimony for why they wanted GPLBs outlawed. Some began consulting with the national Quiet Clean Alliance for guidance on how to gain an ordinance to prohibit GPLBs.  

What became clear was that, on top of the undeniable noise problem, the science demonstrating the significant harms to public health caused by GPLBs was the essential ingredient in a successful campaign. It could overcome the landscaping industry’s resistance. Fortunately, our region is flush with universities, hospital centers, think tanks, law firms, global businesses, and gardens. Skilled professionals in these sectors live in Lower Merion and were willing to commit to working together to achieve an ordinance. 

The FAQs on this website highlight some of the  testimonies we gave to the BOC over three hearings in October and November 2025. We also called BOC members and wrote letters, position papers, and memos containing research-based facts and the voice of the community. If you are interested in learning more, please write to us at QuietCleanLM@gmail.com. We want to support other municipalities.