Ofer, I agree with you but the short answer your question is, realistically there is nothing we can do about it. Construction equipment is legal and as long as our neighbors and new home buyers have money to burn, its local use will continue. As far as landscaping equipment, the problem is not DIY’ers because those of us who do our own landscaping generally use only 1 machine at a time, our machines tend to be less powerful and therefore quieter, and many of us do use rakes instead of blowers. The main problem is professional landscaping teams who typically run multiple machines simultaneously in close proximity. When more than one power machine is used at the same time, the noise is actually louder than the total of the individual decibel level on each machine, due to intersecting sound waves. Some NJ municipalities have attempted to institute ordinances banning certain types of landscaping equipment and/or the running of more than one machine at a time on the same property. In most cases these ordinances have been defeated because landscapers oppose them, indicating they would have to raise their fees significantly to offset the loss of efficiency. Once landscapers inform their customers of the same, those residents typically band together to defeat the ordinance. Even if passed, such ordinances are difficult to enforce. The only bright spot in all of this is that noise pollution does not threaten our health as much as other types of pollution.

Regarding DIY equipment, as I have written here before, electric is preferable to gas for reducing both noise and emissions. In recent years, cordless electric yard equipment including weed wackers, hedge trimmers, blowers and even mowers have hit the market, and in my experience they all perform very well. In addition, the operating costs are much lower than gas-powered machines because the electric motors require no maintenance, and of course you don't have to buy gas.

Some towns have successfully banned landscapers using gas-engined equipment. Others have severely limited the hours they can be used.

JS, I have researched on the web and have not found any town in in NJ that has accomplished this. There are some private communities that have such rules, but not municipalities. Do you know differently?

It might have been in NY? We need to limit hours and days of operation...maybe one quiet weekend day per month would be a great start.

Try this http://www.zapla.org/overview/blowerdef.html

JS, The site proves my point....the only successful bans have been in California and it notes several other states/municipalities where attempts failed. I stand by my opinion that I think a majority M/SH residents would not be willing to pay substantially more for their landscaping service in order to reduce noise.

Then we need to limit hours and days of operation.

We already have limitations on hours. Further limitations would not decrease the overall noise, it would just concentrate more noise into a shorter timeframe.