Letters to the Editor: Hate fireworks pollution on July 4? Try living near Disneyland

To the editor: For the majority of Southern California, high levels of particulate matter and metal air pollutants due to fireworks are typically just an annual occurrence. But what about those of us who live within a few miles of Disneyland in Anaheim? (“Poor air quality lingering in Los Angeles after July 4 firework shows,” July 5)

We are forced to endure a loud and unhealthy 10-minute fireworks show on a nightly basis during peak season, except for rainy days. I’d like to know what the South Coast Air Quality Management District has to say about the air quality in Anaheim after a Disneyland fireworks show.

Armando Cepeda, Anaheim

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To the editor: Thank you for reminding us of how California’s inland areas bear the health cost of both formal and “backyard” fireworks displays.

Those displays strain our police, fire departments and health resources. Their noise masks the sound of illegal gunshots and terrifies our pets.

But the most insidious fireworks danger comes from the metals that color those “pretty” bursts. There, tiny burnt particles of strontium and barium can include trace radioactive isotopes that lodge in our lungs to eventually cause cancer.

Do we need any more reason to ban fireworks statewide?

Brian Roberts, Covina

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To the editor: Like everyone else in my neighborhood, I was kept awake until after 1 a.m. by illegal Fourth of July fireworks. I know one man was killed in Montebello, yet fireworks are still being sold.

I know you can’t buy them in the city of Los Angeles or unincorporated areas of L.A. County, but you can in several neighboring cities and counties, which is a joke.

I think it is time for California to ban the sale of all fireworks. Maybe if someone had to travel to a neighboring state that sells them, it would slow this down.

Fireworks are dangerous and terrorize animals and some people with post-traumatic stress disorder. They are not harmless fun. I think our state has to take action.

Eileen Martin, North Hollywood