The City of Beaufort has officially become the first city in South Carolina to ban balloon releases, passing an ordinance this week that is designed to protect local waterways and wildlife.
“The city council voted to make releasing balloons into the air illegal within city limits, including at parks. Violators could face fines and jail time, particularly for releasing large quantities of balloons,” WTOC said in a report.
The move comes as the city reaffirms its commitment to protecting waterways and the animals that live within or near it. The city ordinance reflects a similar law that has failed to pass the South Carolina House recently.
“We have a significant portion of marshland that we really need to be good stewards of and part of that is protecting it from unnecessary pollution, balloons are a part of that,” Scott Marshall, Beaufort City Manager, said to WTOC.
A recent study conducted by several county groups found that 97% of balloons released into the sky are later recovered on or near the county’s beaches, marshes, and wildlife areas.
While balloon releases are commonly used to celebrate accomplishments or remember deceased loved ones, city officials told WTOC that enforcement will focus on preventing large-scale releases rather than targeting accidental losses.
“I think we have all gone to the store and bought a bouquet of balloons and one gets, I don’t think we will cite somebody for that happening. This will prevent the release of mass balloons,” Marshall said to WTOC.
The report says that the City of Beaufort plans to meet with other municipalities in the county next month to discuss passing similar ordinances in their areas. Officials hope the local action will inspire statewide legislation.
The city of Beaufort now joins several other states that have passed similar balloon release restrictions.
- Connecticut: Prohibits releasing 10 or more helium-filled balloons within 24 hours.
- Delaware: Restricts mass releases of 5 or more balloons.
- Florida: Bans intentional release of 10+ balloons, treating it as littering.
- Hawaii: Has a broad ban on releasing lighter-than-air balloons.
- Maryland: Passed a ban on mass releases.
- Tennessee: Prohibits releasing more than 25 balloons.
- Virginia: Bans releasing 50 or more balloons in an hour.
- California: Has specific laws targeting foil balloons that cause power line issues
