e-4351 (Public safety)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• The Authorization Guidelines for Consumer and Display Fireworks, was revised by U.S. scientists, and found that in “2.3.3 List of Chemicals Normally Precluding Authorization - The following chemicals are normally not allowed in fireworks”, the wording “normally” is wrong. Lead, chromium, arsenic, and carcinogens should never be allowed;
• The chemical analysis is worrisome: 0.5% of the total weight of a consumer display could be lead or arsenic. That weight includes the casing and everything. That much lead or arsenic in the generated aerosol would be toxic to inhale;
• Dr. Terry Gordon, a professor in the Department of Medicine and a member of the Division of Environmental Medicine, states that although people are only exposed to these substances for a short time each year, they are much more toxic than the pollutants we breathe every day”;
• A study by the Canadian Environmental Law Association and the Ontario College of Family Physicians states that the surface has only been scratched in understanding how detrimental toxic environmental it is;
• The federal government has the constitutional authority to control air pollution, primarily through its powers to protect public health and safety and to regulate transboundary effect;
• Supplying financial support to provinces to buy fireworks harm the environment; and
• Animal organizations already stressed financially receive a big amount of hurt animals. International Protection for Animals reported too many injuries to animals and birds due to fireworks.