The City of Independence currently has an ordinance in place that allows consumer fireworks to be set off between July 3 - 5, but the law is repeatedly broken and rarely enforced.  Extremely loud mortar & shell type fireworks are set off at all hours of the day and night, every day of the week, and in residential neighborhoods. This occurs the day the sale of fireworks begins in mid-June and continues for several weeks after Independence Day. As many citizens of refuse to obey the law and only ignite fireworks on the three alloted days, the law abiding citizens of Independence, Missouri are calling for the prohibition of the sale, use and possession of consumer fireworks within residential areas.

Fireworks have many negative impacts on our community. Some of these impacts are:

Noise

• The loud booms can cause severe anxiety in our veterans who suffer from PTSD.
• Random sharp, loud noises can cause extreme distress in adults and children with anxiety, tinnitus, or autism.
• Birds and small mammals may abandon their nests in fear and become disoriented, leaving their babies to starve.
• The noise causes extreme anxiety in many of our pets, especially dogs. They pant, pace, and tremble for hours, and many must be medicated.
• Many pets will make every effort to escape the perceived threat, often becoming disoriented and unable to find their way back home, resulting in shelter overcrowding and often death.

Toxins & Carcinogens

• When fireworks explode, they emit toxic chemicals in fine powder form; such as lead, lithium, copper, titanium, and mercury to name a few. Breathing this toxic powder damages the lungs and can cause multiple health issues in people and animals.
• Water supplies for wildlife, including birds, fish, mammals and pollinators can become contaminated.

Fire

• Sparks, propellant from duds, and unused fireworks stored or disposed of improperly can ignite, which can result in injury, death, and/or property loss.

Most residents enjoy fireworks on July 4th, but we cannot plan (stay indoors, medicate pets, etc.) for the random loud booms for several weeks of summer.  Our question to the Independence City Council is this:

What is more important, People being able to set off explosives, often illegally; or the welfare of all residents, our environment and our community as a whole?

Thank you.