“Re-leaf” for Brookline residents

BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Brookline town officials are putting restrictions on when people can use their leaf blowers.

The clean-up of fall clutter is getting stricter in Brookline. The town is changing its noise bylaws regarding leaf blowers.

"Some of these leaf blowers, as you hear them, especially on a weekend, if you're neighbor is out at 7:00 in the morning, with the leaf blowers blowing at 90 decibels, it's going to wake up your neighborhood," says a local resident.

On weekdays, leaf blowers cannot be used before eight a.m. or after eight p.m. On weekends and holidays, the blowers are banned before nine a.m. and after eight p.m.

The town is also going to start regulating the noise levels of leaf blowers. Residents can take their devices to get inspected by the town to make sure they do not exceed 67 decibels.

The fine is a $50 fine for the first offense, $100 for each second offense.

While the penalty may seem a bit harsh for just doing yard work, Brookline residents don't seem to mind. This change in the town's noise laws was two years in the making. It was organized by a group of residents who started complaining about the use of lawn equipment early in the morning.

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