LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The City of Las Vegas will consider new penalties for anyone who releases certain types of balloons.
City Council has discussed banning the outdoor release of lighter-than-air balloons, except for meteorological or government purposes, or if it’s a hot-air balloon that is retrieved later.
The ordinance was introduced a week before a mylar balloon caused a power outage that affected about 12,000 people in the Las Vegas Valley last week. The bill’s sponsor tells FOX5 this should be a sign that more laws around balloon releases are needed.
“I think last weekend, what happened was a great sort of wake up,” Councilor Nancy Brune said. “You may think you’re having fun celebrating a graduation or a gender reveal, you release these balloons, and the next thing you know, you’re without power.”
Brune says even before the council votes on it, people should still be aware of what they’re releasing. She said the council is launching a public information campaign letting people know about what might happen if these kinds of balloons are released.
“Graduation season is upon us, and we know that is actually one of the most popular times that our residents use to release balloons,” she said.
Brune told FOX5 there have been about 400 outages caused by mylar balloons in the last four years in Las Vegas. Her bill was voted down by a recommending committee, but is still going before City Council on June 5 for a full vote.
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