Fireworks debris poses environmental hazard
Thursday, July 2 | 11:45 p.m.
BY ERIK ROBINSON
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER
Felida resident Patty Page missed last year's Independence Day celebration while traveling in Italy, but she still experienced its aftermath.
A couple of days after the Fourth of July, she noticed the spent remnants of Roman candles, firecrackers and associated debris in the cul-de-sac in front of her house. She began plucking the debris off the street.
"I ended up with a whole baggie full," Page said. "And this was after I'm sure my neighbor swept this stuff up."
She's not looking forward to this year's post-Fourth cleanup.
The traditional public fireworks display at the Vancouver National Historic Site has been canceled due to budget constraints, potentially boosting the number of residents staying home to shoot off their own fireworks. Some dealers have reported brisk sales despite a sour economy.
All this could lead to a substantial pileup of fireworks debris, with traces of environmental pollutants such as heavy metals and perchlorate.
Vancouver city officials say they won't be able to conduct extra street-sweeping.
"If we get calls, we're going to ask neighborhoods to pitch in and clean it up," said Loretta Callahan, spokeswoman for the city of Vancouver's Public Works Department.
They're asking people to use a broom rather than a hose, to minimize the chance of toxic elements washing into storm drains.
"As long as people are sweeping it up and cleaning it up after they light it off, I think we're in good shape," said Doug Wise, a city engineering specialist for water resources protection.
Page, who is active in local environmental causes, said she's nonetheless concerned about the risk of toxic chemicals used in fireworks flowing into storm drains and eventually making their way into area rivers and streams. The relatively small chemical traces in fireworks may be insignificant by themselves, she said. But they're liable to worsen water quality when mixed together with the usual slew of pesticides, herbicides and pharmaceuticals entering area waterways.
"That never gets tested because it's impossible to test," she said.
A coalition of local governments in the Vancouver-Portland area is trying to improve water quality by raising public awareness.
Stormwater runoff is such an insidious source of pollution because the sources are so ubiquitous. Pesticides, fertilizers, pet waste, motor oil — it all seeps drop by drop from thousands upon thousands of lawns, homes and cars into Southwest Washington rivers and streams.
That, Callahan said, is the real problem.
"It isn't just during the Fourth of July that people need to be mindful of what's running off and into their storm drain," she said. "It's a year-round issue."
Here’s another reminder: There is no Fort Vancouver fireworks show this year.
This year’s event was the casualty of rising costs approaching $500,000 to stage the daylong music-fireworks celebration.
The Fort Vancouver National Trust last year pulled the plug on the 2009 event after losing its primary sponsor.
The trust intends to overhaul the show and return with a smaller, more family-oriented event next year that will include fireworks fired from an area near Pearson Field.
There will be two major fireworks displays in Clark County this year: 10 p.m. Saturday at Capt. William Clark Park at Cottonwood Beach, South 32nd and Index streets, Washougal; and dusk Saturday at the North Clark Little League Complex, 202 W. Christy St., Yacolt.
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by K Gero : 7/3/09 6:35am - Report Abuse
A baggie full - That's nothing!!! Every year with our neighborhood letting off their fireworks, we're talking at least a kitchen trash bag full of spent pyrotechnics in the gardens, the roof, the street in front of our house - and that's AFTER the neighbors have picked up the burned out fountains, cannons and so forth. You know, all the little plastic thingamajigs, parachutes, paper tubes - stuff like that! But you know, it's all worth it. Our neighborhood always has a fantastic display with everyone enjoying their celebrations. Everyone has their little buckets of water and hoses with high-pressure nozzles for emergencies. Besides, the smoke from all the fireworks chases off the pesky little terrorist skeeters that forever attack on the Fourth.