The use of gas-powered lawn care equipment in Rehoboth Beach could soon be banned.
The Rehoboth Beach Environment Committee wants to wrap up plans for such a ban by the end of this year.
Rehoboth Beach City Commissioner Ed Chrzanowski chairs that committee.
“The Environment Committee and other residents in the community have been talking about it for quite a long time," he said. "I think in broad terms, (we’ve been) thinking about greenhouse emissions that contribute to climate change and just air pollutants like carbon monoxide, hydro-carbons, nitrous oxide, etc. and the effect it has on people and the environment.”
The City of Lewes voted to ban all handheld gas-powered landscape equipment using a phased-in approach starting this year; a full ban there goes into effect in 2025 though gas-powered lawn mowers are not included.
Chrzanowski says that - and noise complaints about the equipment - prompted Rehoboth to examine enacting its own ban.
The committee’s next meeting is October 20, 2022 where it will seek additional public input about the proposal.
“We’ve received quite a few letters as well as some public speakers. It seems to be about 50/50 in terms of “for” or “against.” We have heard from a lot of the landscape companies - who surprisingly to me - that a lot of landscape companies are going to electric powered equipment,” he said.
Chrzanowski realizes the ban will create a cost to homeowners and landscape companies forced to switch to electric or battery-powered tools - and that burden is part of their deliberations.
