Queen Anne’s weighs ban on balloon releases

Listen to this article

One rural Maryland county commissioner is hoping legislation banning the release of balloons will lead to a larger conversation and even a statewide ban on the practice.

Mass balloon releases draw the ire of some on social media. A recent balloon release to honor the memory of a murdered Annapolis rapper drew critical comments from some who decried the practice.

Queen Anne’s County freshman Republican Commissioner Chris Corchiarino said his bill is a “no-brainer type of ordinance,” adding that releasing balloons ultimately affects the Chesapeake Bay and even the farming community.

“When you live in a county like Queen Anne’s County that is very rural and surrounded by water … we’re impacted by what happens to the environment quite a bit,” said Corchiarino.

Under the proposal, any intentional release of a non-biodegradable balloon would be subject to a citation carrying a fine of $250 per incident.  The citations would be issued by the county sheriff’s office.

The violation is criminal rather than civil and does not apply to accidental releases.

“I didn’t want the parents of a child who accidentally loses a balloon to be worried about being jumped by the police,” said Corchiarino.

If passed, Queen Anne’s County would become the first county to ban the mass releases in Maryland. Baltimore and Ocean City already have similar bans in place.

“The bill just sends the message that this is littering,” said Corchiarino. “It’s no different than if you tossed a cup out of your car window while driving.”

While balloons are not among the top 10 types of pollution found in shore cleanups, according to the Ocean Conservancy, the items are dangerous to wildlife, environmental advocates say.

“Balloons are often mistaken for food by marine animals, such as turtles and birds,” said Jay Falstad, executive director of Queen Anne’s Conservation Association. “These creatures then become tangled in the ribbons and are killed. If balloons from the Midwest are reaching the East Coast, then balloons released from the East Coast are ending up in the Atlantic Ocean.”

A number of states already have imposed bans on mass releases of balloons, including California, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.  Cities, including Louisville, Kentucky; Huntsville, Alabama; and San Francisco also have bans.

Concerns about the environmental impacts have led a number of states in the last year to consider bans.

The Maryland General Assembly considered a similar ban in 2004. That proposal, which died in committee, would have imposed a $500 fine on anyone releasing or causing the release of 20 or more balloons at an outdoor event.

It is not clear how much the local bans will help.

“We find clusters of balloons during every single beach or road cleanup,” said Kristin Weed of Kent Island Beach CleanUps.  “They’re usually stuck in trees or bay grasses, on the beach, and in ditches along our county roads.” On Unicorn Lake, in northern Queen Anne’s County, balloons were found that had been released in Dayton, Ohio, four days earlier and had traveled some 460 miles.”

Falstad acknowledged the local effort won’t resolve all of the concerns.

“Hopefully it’s the start of a movement,” said Falstad. ” Yes, it’s a drop in the bucket. We’ve got a long way to go to correct the problem.”