Noisy Swarthmore

To the Editor,

Swarthmore is a noisy place.  Perhaps not so much in the winter. But now? With spring well underway, the emergence of gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, construction, road-and-sewer repair, and tree work makes Swarthmore seem to be the noisiest small town in America. This level of sound is not good for our health. I just purchased high-grade industrial earmuffs to save my eardrums from obliteration.  

A recent article in the New York Times points out that sound levels are measured not just by decibels but also by weighted decibels, dBAs, which measure both the intensity of the sound and how the ear responds. Any sound above 45 dBA will begin to have negative effects. Professor John Medina at the University of Washington says that gas-powered leaf blowers can be dangerous: when close to the ear, they cause 95 dBAs to be felt. Even at a 50-foot distance, the machines expose us to levels of between 65 and 80 dBAs. 

I am proposing that Swarthmore Borough Council enact a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. If borough residents feel leaf blowers are essential, battery-powered ones could be used instead. Even better: use rake-and-broom technology! Then we might be able to hear the birds.

Russell Bertrand
Swarthmore