DLCP Oversight Hearing

[Anonymous]

The head of "one of the District's newest agencies", the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, just proposed grants to lawn care businesses so they can afford to move from gas-powered leaf blowers to electric leafblowers. Nadeau did not bat an eye at this idiocy.

The whole hearing has been otherwise not very illuminating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The head of "one of the District's newest agencies", the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, just proposed grants to lawn care businesses so they can afford to move from gas-powered leaf blowers to electric leafblowers. Nadeau did not bat an eye at this idiocy.

The whole hearing has been otherwise not very illuminating.

A couple of years ago Council passed legislation that prohibited gas powered leaf blowers in DC for both commercial and residential users with fines of $500 for each offense. There were rebates for electric powered lawn mowers in the past. This seems like an extension of that.

[Anonymous]

This seems like an odd thing to care about, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like an odd thing to care about, OP.

OP is probably a lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute, hence the hyperbole about the "idiocy" of swapping out gas-powered lawn equipment. Our landscaping contractors have already been using electric for a couple of years now, no problems.

[Anonymous]

I find it ironic that when DC does leaf collection - they have gas powered.

[Anonymous]

Giving businesses money to comply with a law that has been on the books for years rather than enforcing said law is a great example of this administration being run by clowns.

[Anonymous]

Who is the new Director? What do we know about her?

[Anonymous]

Was this posted from some alternate universe where everything in the city mostly works?

This is barely "raise an eyebrow" level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The head of "one of the District's newest agencies", the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, just proposed grants to lawn care businesses so they can afford to move from gas-powered leaf blowers to electric leafblowers. Nadeau did not bat an eye at this idiocy.

The whole hearing has been otherwise not very illuminating.

Sour take, imo.

If they are still using gas-powered stuff, helping them make the cutover to non-gas-powered stuff helps everyone in terms of air quality. A small grant to do that is not an idiotic idea. Governments help subsidize massive businesses all the time for climate change related objectives. Why should a small, predominately minority-owned and operated set of businesses be excluded from that?

Two-stroke motors (which use gas/oil combinations) that are most commonly found in these types of tools emit a ridiculous amount of emissions (smoke, NOX, CO2, etc.). Even the 4-stroke gas only more modern ones are far, far worse than what's found in a regular truck or car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The head of "one of the District's newest agencies", the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, just proposed grants to lawn care businesses so they can afford to move from gas-powered leaf blowers to electric leafblowers. Nadeau did not bat an eye at this idiocy.

The whole hearing has been otherwise not very illuminating.

Sour take, imo.

If they are still using gas-powered stuff, helping them make the cutover to non-gas-powered stuff helps everyone in terms of air quality. A small grant to do that is not an idiotic idea. Governments help subsidize massive businesses all the time for climate change related objectives. Why should a small, predominately minority-owned and operated set of businesses be excluded from that?

Two-stroke motors (which use gas/oil combinations) that are most commonly found in these types of tools emit a ridiculous amount of emissions (smoke, NOX, CO2, etc.). Even the 4-stroke gas only more modern ones are far, far worse than what's found in a regular truck or car.

"To equal the hydrocarbon emissions of about a half-hour of yard work with a two-stroke leaf blower, you'd have to drive a 2011 Ford Raptor for 3,887 miles, or the distance from Northern Texas to Anchorage, Alaska."