Laguna Beach, Calif., the seaside city known for stunning ocean views and rolling bluffs, is weighing a plan to ban the sale and public use of balloons to curtail the risk of devastating wildfires and eliminate a major source of trash floating near the community's scenic shores.
Environmental advocates are celebrating in Laguna Beach -- but it won't be with balloons.
"This is the beginning," said Chad Nelsen, chief executive of the nonprofit environmental organization Surfrider Foundation, adding that he sees momentum to weed out balloons that tangle with turtles and sea lions much like he did with the effort to phase out single-use plastic bags. "We're chipping away at all these things we find and trying to clean up the ocean one item at a time.
Officials in Laguna Beach, which has miles of pristine shoreline and hilltop neighbourhoods at risk of wildfires, have long discussed the idea. Lawmakers held an initial, unanimous vote in January to phase out the public use of all balloons, with a second and final vote scheduled for Tuesday.
Heining said Laguna Beach officials would not come to the table for a compromise. He suggested banning portable helium tanks for the public, barring balloon releases and prohibiting balloons on the beach, rather than an all-or-nothing approach.
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