One often has too much to say and sadly we can only say about 300 words in 3 minutes. This is a truncated version of what I would have liked to have presented. We will see if the five minutes it takes is allowed. There is a follow-up that I will ask a friend to deliver. ( Addendum and answer to a strange question follow.
What is it in for the city to ban fireworks?
Dear City Manager and City Council Members, I appreciate the opportunity to speak before you.
My name is Herb Senft and I have lived in the Sequim area for some 25 years. I am here to express my concerns about fireworks and their toxic affects to the environment and those who walk, fly or swim in it.
I was asked why a ban on fireworks would be in the city’s best interest.” That would be an offside topic so I have added it to the bottom of my cover letter.
- The first tagged folder is the original presentation that Jan Butler gave in P.A. I suggest you put it aside as I will not re-visit it. My presentation will not be easy or even pretty. It will deal with the pollutants, heavy metals that are in fireworks. I ask you to go through the handouts, links and references as I speak. These are labeled for easy reference. (page1) (1minute)
My focus will be on the toxic and hazardous metals found in fireworks. These affect our own health but damage the environment as well. Page 2. Refers to a Potassium Perchlorate study by a Snohomish county = a report on water and pond pollution. This is only one page of 20. Many of the compounds are quite toxic before ignition (for example perchlorate is an iodine mimic). Barium, copper and arsenic are toxic as well. Why celebrate with pollutants? Usually fireworks don’t list what they contain, so you expose yourself to toxic things without knowing it.
Roman candles and even those so-called “harmless” sparkler) pose environmental and health dangers from heavy metals and other toxic ingredients. Are a few minutes of pyrotechnic entertainment really worth needlessly polluting the environment?” (Page references 3 and 4) (There are fifteen toxic metals and chemicals shown – I will address 7 of them (2minutes)
| Toxic Element | Fireworks Usage | Toxic Effect of Fallout Dust & Fumes |
| Aluminum | brilliant whites | Contact dermatitis, bioaccumulation |
| Antimony sulfide | glitter effects | Toxic smoke, possible carcinogen |
| Arsenic compounds | Used as colorants. Sadly still out there. [3] | Toxic ash can cause lung cancer, skin irritation and wart formation. |
| Barium Nitrate | glittering greens/ cheap and available | Poisonous. Fumes can irritate respiratory tract. Possible radioactive fallout. [4] |
| Copper compounds | blues | Polychlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans. [5] Can bioaccumulate. Cancer risk. |
| Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)[5] | Use was supposed to be banned globally but is still used in fireworks. (link) | Persistent environmental toxin. Is a carcinogen, mutagen and a reproductive hazard [13]. |
| Lead Dioxide / Nitrate / Chloride | oxidizer | Bioaccumulation, developmental danger for kids & unborn babes, may remain airborne for days, poisonous to plants & animals |
| Lithium compounds | blazing reds | Toxic and irritating fumes when burned |
| Mercury (Mercurous chloride) | chlorine donor | Toxic heavy metal. Can bioaccumulate. |
| Nitric oxide | fireworks byproduct [6] | Toxic by inhalation. Is a free radical |
| Nitrogen dioxide | fireworks byproduct [6] | Highly toxic by inhalation. SIDS risk [8]. |
| Ozone | fireworks byproduct [7] | Greenhouse gas that attacks & irritates lungs |
| Perchlorate – Ammonium & Potassium |
propellant / oxidizer | Can contaminate ground & surface waters, can cause thyroid problems in humans & animals |
| Potassium Nitrate | in black powder | Toxic dusts, carcinogenic sulfur-coal compounds |
| Strontium compounds | blazing reds | Can replace calcium in body. Strontium chloride is slightly toxic. |
| Sulfur Dioxide | gaseous byproduct of sulfur combustion | Acid rain from sulphuric acid affects water sources, vegetation & causes property damage. SIDS risk [8]. |
Illegal Chinese fireworks use banned and toxic chemicals without regard for the safety of the rest of the world.
Newspaper mention has been made about the lack of response by local law enforcement. I take exception to that and would explain by mentioning that: The paperwork that the Sheriff dept. goes through with limited cars and officers leave him at the mercy of local officials who hear only the negative comments. Less mentioned is that it is the same officials who do not provide the funds to cover the immense area they are asked to protect. In P.A. a special bond issue is coming that WILL raise your taxes, but allow the fire district to provide coverage to rural areas that may end up with no coverage at all. It is OUR collective fault, City, County and the reluctant taxpayer. Throw in a judicial system that demands paperwork beyond belief
Before I go into specifics I need mention oral and dermal inhalation of these metals, sulfur and perchlorates. I do not have asthma, emphysema and am not on oxygen, but others are. Fireworks affects their lives. Oral toxicity, includes inhalation as well as ingestion, and some of these contaminate groundwater, wells and of course the inhabitants of streams or ponds.)
(page5) is a study of hexachlorobenzene – a banned substance widely found by European investigators who wonder how these large quantities of the fireworks have been imported and sold. What happened to the ATF, EPA or CUSTOMS? (3 minutes)
Antimony sulfide after antimony enters your blood, it goes to many parts of your body (liver, lungs, intestines, and spleen). Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Ocular and Reproductive problems can occur. (Increased risk of abortions being one.) Fisherman have noticed and reported to environmental authorities that firework residues can hurt fish and water life.
Barium Nitrate Some of the symptoms of poisoning include: Skin,Eye, and Respiratory system irritation’s such as shortness of breath and sore throats.
Copper compounds produce brilliant blues. When combined with perchlorate, dioxins are produced, which are highly carcinogenic. Another metals link.
Sulfur dioxide, a main component in fireworks, has been related to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) as well. Click here to find out how fireworks can raise your child’s risk of SIDS. (4 minutes
Perchlorate – Ammonium & Potassium (folder 6 Two studies including the (EPA)
The primary toxicity issue is associated with disruption of iodide uptake in the thyroid gland due to its similarity in ionic radius to iodide. Widespread presence of perchlorate in drinking water aquifers and its toxicological properties make perchlorate an emerging chemical of cancer (thyroid)
“Is poisoning the air and water a patriotic way to recognize the 4th of July?” (Page 7)
If you shoot off a lot of fireworks in your back yard, you are getting overexposed to toxins. That is your judgment call I suppose, but you do not have the right to poison your neighbors, elderly infants and children and the wildlife that have no voice at all
- I have tried to present a short presentation of reasons for a ban in 3 minutes. That is an impossible task. I hope the council will look over the folders I have presented and see what other communities have done. I pray we have the wisdom to do the same. By last count, Fifty-eight (58) cities have bans. Ninety-one (91) other cities have restrictions. Five (5) counties have bans. Thirteen (13) other counties have restrictions. (page 8) (5minutes)
BOYCOTT FIREWORKS
- Write, call, or meet your local officials and tell them your concerns about outdoor air pollution and noise pollution from fireworks.
- The Clean Air Act permits governments to enact laws relating to the prevention and control of outdoor air pollution.
- Pollutants discharged by fireworks also need to be regulated in accordance with the Clean Water Act. Recently some environmental groups have caused the cancellation of some fireworks shows held over water, after threatening organizers with a Clean Water Act lawsuit for lacking the appropriate permits.
- Boycott outdoor fireworks displays and encourage others to do the same.
- Educate others by sharing the pollution dangers of fireworks.
My webpages can be found at http://sweetgeodes.com/senft/ (if time permits mention potential lawsuits for health and injury claims. Last page link page 7 legal planet
(1270 words – used 600 so about 6 minutes.