HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-29-26 Public Comment - M. Egge - Noise and Emissions from Gas-Powered Lawn MowersFrom:Mark Egge
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Natalie Meyer
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Noise and Emissions from Gas-Powered Lawn Mowers
Date:Tuesday, May 26, 2026 12:41:05 PM
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Mayor Morrison and Commissioners,
I'm writing this amidst the acrid smell of partially combusted oil from apoorly operating lawnmower and the noisy hum of motors that disturb theotherwise quiet neighborhood. The attached photo was taken moments
ago from my kitchen window.
This is a regular feature of life in Bozeman from April through October, and
it needn't be.
I'm asking the Commission to take action on the noise and air quality
impacts of gas-powered lawn mowers. I recognize Montana SB 228
prohibits a direct ban on equipment based on fuel source, so I'm not
asking for one. I'm asking for content-neutral, output-based regulationthat falls within the City's existing police powers and follows the model you
set with Ordinance 2139 on construction noise:
First, amend the noise ordinance to remove the blanket exemption for
lawn mowing and adopt a decibel-based standard—measured at the
property line—in the 70–75 dB(A) range during permitted hours. Gas pushmowers operate at 85–95 dB; gas riding mowers at 90–105 dB; battery-
electric mowers at 70–80 dB. The standard regulates noise, not fuel.
Second, establish a commercial landscaping registration with permits
revokable for repeated noise or visible-emissions violations.
Third, fund a rebate program for residents switching to electric mowers.
Dallas and Austin pivoted to this model after Texas preempted their bans.
Cuyahoga County runs a successful version.
Fourth, commit the municipal fleet—Parks, Streets, Facilities—to battery-electric mowers by 2030. SB 228 does not restrict the City's own
procurement.
This package excludes string trimmers, leaf blowers, and ride-on
commercial equipment. The focus is residential lawn mowers, where thetechnology gap has closed.
The evidence is unambiguous. The EPA documents that one hour of gas
mowing emits the same volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides as
driving a new car 45 miles. EPA estimates gasoline lawn and gardenequipment account for 24–45% of all nonroad gasoline emissions
nationally. OSHA's hearing-damage threshold begins at 85 dB—below the
operating level of every gas mower on the market.
More than 200 U.S. municipalities have acted. The technology is on theshelves at every hardware store in town. The status quo is a policy choice,
not an inevitability.
Thank you.
Mark Egge
1548 S Grand Ave, Bozeman MT 59715