Oil spill may ground offshore July 4th fireworks shows

[Robbien]

Source: USA Today

<snip>

At least a half-dozen communities, from New Orleans to Gulf Shores, Ala., annually stage over-the-water fireworks displays on Independence Day. But as oil continues to gush from the BP well, one community — Grand Isle, La. — already has canceled its fireworks. At least two others — Gulf Shores and Ocean Springs, Miss. — say they may have to forego plans to launch fireworks from offshore barges if thicker oil rolls in.

"A lot would have to happen with us to not do the fireworks," says Grant Brown, a spokesman for Gulf Shores. He says the city might not decide until July 3. "But if we get a wave of that stuff up to the Fourth of July," Brown says of the oil, "we will have to postpone."

The same is true in Ocean Springs, says Geri Straight, the city's parks director. "We are going to do everything we can to have it."

In Grand Isle, however, the sponsor of the city's annual fireworks celebration isn't waiting to see what happens — or for the Coast Guard, which issues permits for such displays, to evaluate possible fire hazards.

"We didn't even get that far. We canceled it," says Dodie Vegas, co-owner of a Bridge Side Marina. Vegas says she couldn't envision the Coast Guard "letting us pop the fireworks with oil everywhere." Besides, Vegas says, she worried about the risks. "We see the oil coming … and thinking of parents and kids, I wouldn't want them to be down there."



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-06-16-fireworks_N.htm

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[golddigger]

1. The Gulf would be one big bonfire.

[htuttle]

2. ...visible from orbit.

[Robbien]

3. Yeah. What are they thinking?

They have more than two weeks to arrange another spot to set off fireworks. Sure, fireworks over water is spectacular, but fireworks over land is nice too. Why be so careless to risk endangering the Gulf even more.

[alp227]

4. Thank you again BP for ruining the summer for the Gulf residents n/t

[txwhitedove]

5. They were thinking ahead to change normally scheuled fireworks over-the-water.

From the beach in Bay St. Louis, MS, we could see all the fireworks from "The Bay" to Pass Christian and all the way to Gulfport. It was the annual spectacular. Gulf Coast residents are re-thinking all aspects of their way of life.

:cry:

[glinda]

6. Can't have fireworks? That is the least of their/our worries.