AB 1346 is counterproductive

To the Editor:

Through Assembly Bill 1346, our governor took action to eliminate all gas equipment in the tree and landscaping business that's necessary and useful to get the job done efficiently and quickly for you. Does that law include generators needed for homeowners during outages? Some people who object to the noise of the equipment have to understand that the garbage, airline (Columbia Airport and CDF helicopters), truck, and landscaping/tree industries produce noise. These services are necessary and essential. Also, if people think their cost for maintaining property is to remain the same come 2024, you'll be surprised as your landscaper and tree guys will have to triple their prices. They'll have to increase the price of the job for purchasing all the batteries and new equipment and pass the cost to the customers so they can make a fair wage. You will be surprised at all the extra electricity that has to be generated for the new equipment, too. Remember, the extra chips from trees that goes to the biomass plant is burned (going up into the air) and sold to PG&E to generate kilowatts for public use. I guess we'll have to cut more trees down to increase the electricity needed.

The emissions study in reference to yard and tree equipment sounds far fetched when compared to emissions from cars, trucks and big industry. I do not smell any emissions when my gardener cleans, mows and blows my property, or I need a tree cut down hanging over my house. Also, the noise is part of the process. If it's too loud, I'll go in my house and be thankful for these hardworking people for their dedication to keeping the environment fire safe, cleared and beautiful. This ensures that my insurance company will not cancel me.

Ken Lowe

Sonora