LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – This Fourth of July, local leaders are reminding people that once the fun is over, the party isn’t done until everything is cleaned up, to keep our local ecosystems safe.
While the long-term environmental effects of fireworks on a wide scale are still up in the air. Environmental health experts say this holiday weekend, you can do your part to keep local wildlife safe.
Pet owners have seen the effects and dangers fireworks can have on their animals. But the city explained that wild animals are also affected. Not just by the noise either.
“Fireworks contain a lot of harmful things like heavy metals, accelerants, that are not good for fish and other wildlife,” said Erin Kubicek, an Environmental Health Educator for the City of Lincoln.
Educators encourage families to clean up as much of the fireworks debris as they can to keep animals safe. If fireworks are left in the streets and it rains, remnants will flow to storm drains that empty straight into our creeks.
“Once they’re cool enough, you can sweep them up, being very careful,” said Mary Carol Bond, another Environmental Health Educator. “Adults should do this to make sure they get all the bits.” “Then we’re going to place it into a metal bucket that has sand and water in it.”
Once that’s done, you’ll want to make sure you dispose of the bucket properly.
“Fireworks don’t belong at any point in time in your recycling bin or here at the recycling sites,” said Willa Discostanzo with LTU. “We don’t want the casings, the box around it, the plastic film, any of the plastic pieces; they should all just go into your trash can.”
And if you have fireworks that you didn’t get to set off on the fourth, don’t toss them.
“Unused, unexposed fireworks are really dangerous for the haulers as they move that material out to the landfills,” Discostanzo added. “It can also be dangerous for those who work out in the landfills.”
The city recommends calling the fire prevention bureau to handle those leftover explosives.
“They do become stable over time,” Kubicek said. “So it’s not a good idea to keep them long-term at your house—so if you have unused ones, you can call them, and they’ll dispose of them properly.”
As always, the city says to have fun, but to do so responsibly.
Never use fireworks while impaired—and keep them out of the reach of young children.
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