Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond proposed the bill at Tuesday’s council meeting. He said the goal is to protect the environment.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We often see balloon releases to celebrate an achievement or to honor a loved one.
It could soon be illegal to launch balloons entirely in Jacksonville. Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond proposed a bill at the city council meeting Tuesday night that would ban releasing balloons and lanterns from the sky.
“Look at this beautiful beach,” Diamond said, gesturing to the beach behind him as he spoke with On Your Side’s Kailey Tracy at Neptune Beach. “It’s absolutely pristine. There’s nothing worse than seeing gallons out there. There’s nothing worse than seeing birds with strings around their necks or turtles that don’t make it to the ocean, so this bill will help prevent all of that,” he said. the.
Jen Lomberk, executive director of the Matanzas Riverkeeper, said they regularly find balloons during beach and water cleanups.
“It’s always disappointing to find balloons because so many times they’re released intentionally,” he said. “And balloons are actually a huge threat to wildlife when they end up in our waterways or international areas because popped balloons actually look a lot like jellyfish when they float in the water,” she said.
“So, they will be eaten by sea turtles, birds and manatees, and oftentimes, that means they will get stuck in the animal’s throat or digestive system, which can cause a choking hazard. They can also cause entanglement issues.” that lead to the death of an animal,” Lomberk said.
State law says that releasing 10 or more balloons within a 24-hour period is punishable by a $250 fine.
Diamond writes in the text of the proposed bill that sky lanterns could also pose a safety hazard to the public due to an unpredictable flight path. This could potentially start a fire at the lantern landing, he said.
St. Johns County banned the lanterns earlier this year due to potential fires.
“Once places started realizing that there was this weird loophole in state law and that local governments had the authority to pass ordinances like this, I think it started to catch on and people started thinking, ‘well, why don’t we have an ordinance like this,'” Lomberk said.
Diamond said if the bill passes in Jacksonville, it will be the same penalty as littering, which is $50 for a first offense.
“There won’t be like a balloon police, but it’s the same as anything else here on the beaches. We have our three beach police departments. You have JSO and when you see a bunch of people out there about to launch a bunch burning flashlights, they can say, ‘Listen, that’s against the law. Please don’t do that,'” Diamond said.
RELATED: One of America’s most iconic butterflies is in trouble. Here’s how to help.
Lomberk said Riverkeeper and other nonprofits have worked with local governments on balloon bans.
“It really is just organized crap because what goes up must come down. So we always try to encourage people to choose another way to recognize an event, like planting a tree or donating to a cause or organization that the person cares about,” Lomberk said.
According to Lomberk, there is a common misconception about biodegradable balloons. Some people think that because a balloon is made of latex, it will break down and do no harm.
“That’s not the case,” he said.
“Although some balloons are made from latex from rubber trees, that latex is treated with chemicals and plasticizers to make the final product, meaning they are built to last longer. There is no legal definition for ‘biodegradable,’ so that these balloons can still end up in our natural areas and be ingested by animals before they have the change to decompose,” Lomberk said.
He also added that the strings attached to the balloons are almost always made of plastic.
The ordinance in Jacksonville could be on the books in six weeks if adopted. There could also be a public hearing on the proposed bill on August 9 before then.
Diamond’s proposed ordinance follows the lead of other cities and counties on the First Coast that have banned balloon launches including Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Fernandina Beach, St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, Town of Marineland, St. Johns County and Flagler. Beach.
RELATED: Jacksonville Ranked Among America’s Least Bike-Friendly Cities