A gradual ban on noisy, polluting gas-powered leaf blowers in Portland officially went into effect on Jan. 1.

The new law, approved by the Portland City Council last March, will eliminate the machines year-round within the next two years.

For the first two years, gas leaf blowers will be prohibited for nine months out of the year – between January and September – and their use will be allowed during the wet leaf season from October to December. The year-round ban will start on Jan. 1, 2028.

Electric and battery-powered leaf blowers will still be allowed year-round in Portland, though they must comply with the city’s noise code.

City officials have said the phase-in approach will allow the electric and battery-powered blower technology to improve and will give landscape companies and large landowners like hospitals, parks and school campuses the time to adjust.

Portland is the first in Oregon to pass such a ban, joining scores of other U.S. cities, counties and the state of California in banning or restricting gas-powered leaf blowers or prohibiting their sale.

The law, passed thanks to a tenacious group of local activists who lobbied city, county and state lawmakers for over a decade, aims to improve public health and the quality of life for landscape workers and other residents. Gas-powered leaf blowers have been identified as major sources of air pollution. The noise levels they produce can also damage hearing.

The ordinance was co-written officials with the city and Multnomah County. The county has helped small landscaping businesses with the expense of transitioning to electric and battery-powered blowers via a rebate program. Individual homeowners don’t qualify and will have to replace their own equipment.

In December, activists helped secure a new $1 million grant from the Portland Clean Energy Fund to assist small landscapers in transitioning to electric and battery-powered leaf blowers. The funding will pay for training and financial incentives for landscaping companies with fewer than five employees.

The ban’s enforcement mechanism is targeted at property owners, not landscaping crews. Violations will be handled through a complaint-based system, with the first offense leading to a warning, then penalties escalating to $250 for the second, $500 for the third and $1,000 for subsequent violations. Each day of non-compliance counts as a separate violation. Portland residents can report violators using an online form.

The city’s ordinance does not regulate the sale of gas leaf blowers, so Portland stores can continue to sell them. Portlanders can recycle their gas leaf blowers at several locations.

Other cities in Oregon – Ashland, Bend, Corvallis, Eugene, Salem and Springfield – are also exploring similar bans or restrictions.