All restauranter John Morris wanted to do was throw a fireworks spectacular on the beach to raise money for children in need —but environmentalists stepped in, making it incredibly difficult.
“The Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation accused Long Beach restaurateur John Morris of polluting Alamitos Bay with fireworks debris during his July 3 Big Bang on the Bay charity event [last year],” according to the Press-Telegram.
From The Press-Telegram:
A ruling in this case could impact similar events during which fireworks are exploded over the water, including high-profile shows at Sea World in San Diego, as well as displays in Huntington Beach, Marina del Rey, Dana Point, San Clemente, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and San Pedro.
The Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation has asked for an injunction to stop the Big Bang show until a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit is issued. The foundation has also asked for Morris to be hit with a $56,460 civil penalty per annual show after Nov. 2, 2015 — or $338,760 total for six shows — and pay plaintiff’s costs and attorney fees.
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CERF attorney Livia Borak Beaudin, for her part, said in an email that Morris should find an alternative to the fireworks show — and said the legal battle is bigger than just the Big Bang on the Bay.
“Defendant John Morris has been on notice that his actions were unlawful under the Clean Water Act for over seven years now,” Beaudin wrote after the hearing. “Despite the difficulties of obtaining physical evidence of fireworks discharges to water, anyone watching the shows can see they do result in pollutants entering the water.
The first Big Bang was in 2011. “Mike DuRee (former Long Beach fire chief) asked me if I could organize a celebration of life on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,” Morris said. “We had fireworks and it was a huge success. Mike said we could do it every year as long as we didn’t do it on July 4, so July 3 was an easy choice.”
“This is all about helping kids,” Morris said. “Kids are our future, and we need to do anything we can to help them. I was once a needy kid, and I totally relate to these kids now.”
“This isn’t about Mr. Morris or one fireworks show,” CERF attorney Beaudin said. “Every organizer of a fireworks show over water can expect a notice of intent to sue letter if they fail to obtain a permit under the Clean Water Act.”
TL;DR climate cultists ruin celebration that helps disadvantaged children.