Swampscott Balloon Debate Inflates Emotions Around Town

Swampscott MA

23 August, 2021

7:01 PM

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SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Carolina Velasquez believes balloons are getting a bad rap in Swampscott and wants to get the word on responsible enjoyment and disposal of the traditional decorations ahead of a fall vote she fears will put more restrictions on their sale and display around town. In July, the Swampscott Conservation Committee voted to ban balloons on all town conservation land out of environmental concerns that releasing balloons — whether intentional or not — poses a danger to wildlife that ingest them or get wrapped up in their remnants. The Conservation Committee said at the time it was a temporary ban that included all conservancy land, including Linscott Park, Blythwood Estast easement, Ewing Woods, Muskrat Pond, Harold King Forest, and would be revisited in the fall. But Velasquez, who owns Fairytale Moments, is worried that when that meeting takes place not only could the committee extend the conservancy land ban, but that it will be part of a greater movement to extend the ban townwide in a manner that would not only crush her business but needlessly take away a source of what she calls "fun, cheer and hope." "An all-out balloon ban in Swampscott is excessive and unnecessary and will not fix the pollution problem plaguing the planet," she told Patch this week. "For a ban to be effective it must be reasonable and enforceable. Who would enforce such a ban? Can you imagine the police arriving at a child's birthday party and confiscating balloons? Will there be a task force identifying owners of rogue balloons?" Velasquez argues that those in the balloon business already promote responsible usage and do not in any way encourage "balloon releases." "We advise that all helium balloons must be properly secured and/or tied to a weight to prevent any accidental releases," she said. "In fact, many balloon professionals now create artistic pieces attached to frames or other methods without the use of helium-filled balloons to further minimize the risk of balloons floating away." She said most of her clients "enjoy their balloons, and when they are done, they pop and dispose of them responsibly." The Sierra Club recommends proper disposal of balloons to help protect animals. Once the balloon deflates, the remaining air should be removed, the balloons and any ribbons should be cut into small pieces and they should be sealed tightly in a bag before discarding them. The Sierra Club also recommends a ban on "releasing" balloons. A bill filed in Massachusetts in 2019 proposed to ban "the sale, distribution, and release of any type of balloon, including but not limited to plastic, latex or mylar, filled with any type of lighter-than-air gas, both for public and private use." The bill was later referred to committee and no further action was taken in the last legislative session. Chatham, Everett, Nantucket, Provincetown are among the Massachusetts towns that ban balloon releases, but there appears to be no community in New England that outright bans the sale, possession and display of all balloons. "Banning balloons in Swampscott, or anywhere, is not a fix-all for environmental problems," Velasquez said. She said "balloon professionals" in Swampscott, such as herself and two other women who own businesses in the town, can be part of the solution to help those who enjoy balloons to do so while minimizing the chances they will wind up in the ocean or hamper wildlife. "The education provided by balloon professionals about never releasing balloons and the proper use and disposal of them is working," Velasquez said. "We are committed to continuing promoting environmentally safe enjoyment of balloons." Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)