On Wednesday, April 27th, the Solana Beach City Council will consider an ordinance to ban the use, sale, and distribution of balloons filled
with gas lighter than air.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the Solana Beach City Council for their unanimous vote to direct city staff to draft this balloon ban ordinance.
Now that the ordinance will go before the council for its first read, we are asking you to show your support! We are calling all ocean, wave, and beach lovers—especially residents of Solana Beach and other North County cities—to take 60 seconds and submit an email comment in support of this ordinance.
(you can also show up with us on Wednesday at the city council meeting!)
Please Submit Written Comment to the Solana Beach City Council by 4pm on Wednesday, April 27th
*If formatting doesn't work on your phone/computer email apps, you can copy & paste from THIS GOOGLE DOC
Click the link above to use our templated email & be sure to amend it if you live in Solana Beach—your voice counts the most!
We encourage everyone to add their own personal comments or submit an original letter—the email address for comments is clerkoffice@cosb.org
Even a one sentence email that states you "fully support the city’s proposed balloon ordinance which would prohibit the use, sale, release and distribution of all lighter than air filled balloons" would be very helpful!
See below for additional resources re: balloon pollution, including the ordinance itself.
resources and supplementary info
- If you would like to attend the meeting to address the council directly -or- fill out a slip in support but not speak, you can find instructions HERE under Agenda Items (the balloon ordinance is Item c.2.).
- Below is the finalized ordinance plus Agenda Report by the Solana Beach City Staff. CLICK HERE to see full report.
https://sandiego.surfrider.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/4-27-2022_Agenda_REG_upd_4-25_-_O.pdf
- Our Campaign page with blogs going back to the effort's earliest stages working in Encinitas.
- Coast News article covering our Enicinitas effort from May 6, 2021.
- Surfrider SD beach cleanup volunteers have removed over 11,000 balloons since our chapter started tracking data in 2012. This number is likely a tiny fraction of the total number of balloons littering our shores, lost at sea, and continuing to choke and maim marine wildlife.
- Balloons Blow, a website dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangers of balloon pollution, the harm they cause to marine wildlife, and why our limited helium supply should be reserved for important medical research.
