New Orleans Banning Metallic Balloons to Prevent Disruptions to City Services
The city of New Orleans has banned the release of metallic balloons, known for their festive spirit, but which have been causing disruptions to the city’s electrical services and sewer systems. The decision follows a series of incidents where wayward balloons triggered power outages and disruptions to the city’s water treatment plant and sewer system.
In August, a cluster of metallic balloons caused a widespread power outage in Orleans Parish, resulting in a 24-hour period where the city’s water supply was at risk of being knocked out. The event led to a serious injury to a Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans employee.
Council Member Joseph Giarrusso, a vocal public safety advocate, has been pushing for the ban on metallic balloon releases to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Giarrusso cites a number of similar events throughout the state and across the nation, including the firing of a metallic confetti cannon at a power line in another part of the state, which almost caught a float on fire.
The city council passed an ordinance last month banning the release of Mylar balloons and those coated in metal or other conductive materials. The ban does not, however, prohibit the purchase of such balloons.
Some business owners, like Desiree Ontiveros, founder of Badass Balloon Co., support the ban but argue that the city should focus on upgrading its infrastructure instead. Ontiveros suggests that balloons are littering and that the root of the problem should be addressed through infrastructure investments.
The issue is not unique to New Orleans, with similar concerns about balloon releases being raised at the University of Nebraska, which has banned the release of balloons at home football games. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that discarded balloons can end up in the ocean and along shorelines, becoming part of marine debris, and can harm wildlife if ingested.
