Ca Balloon Laws- Balloon San Diego
Did you know that there are special balloon laws in California
? Did you even know that there was such a thing as balloon laws?
Here in California we have balloon laws that the rest of the country doesn't have... yet. But even if you're not in California, it's important to know about the balloon laws.
Why you ask? Because mylar balloons that are let loose could cause power failures. That's what the laws are all about. Below is a quick summary of the California balloon law...
1.Every helium filled foil balloon, (or electrically conducive material containing a gas lighter than air), must be anchored to something heavy enough to hold it down. It can be a fishing weight, a washer, a cute little plastic weight, etc., just so long as it"s heavy enough to hold it down.
2.Don"t tie metallic or electrically conducive ribbon to ANY helium balloon
3.Don"t group foil balloons together in one bunch- individually tie each balloon to the weight.
4.Don"t do balloon releases with foil balloons
There"s a bit more, but that"s really the gist of it. It"s really important to follow them because loose foil balloons theoretically could put out the lights for a whole neighborhood. In California we almost even lost the right to sell helium filled foil balloons. If we don't use them responsibly, we could lose the fun and excitement that foil balloons can bring to an event. And if it almost happened here, it could happen in other places too...
For more information on Gov. Schwarzenegger saving the balloon, here's a reprint of an article I wrote on my blog a while back"
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Gov. Schwarzenegger saves the balloons!
In April 2008 Senate Bill 1499 was introduced in the State Senate Public Safety Committee. Introduced to the Senate by Senator Scott and the power companies, who contended that mylar balloons could cause massive power failures. The bill would have made it a crime for any person to sell or distribute any balloon that is constructed of electrically conductive material, and filled with a gas lighter than air, or any balloon filled with a gas lighter than air that is attached to an electrically conductive string, tether, streamer, or other electrically conductive appurtenance, except as specified. The lobbying efforts of the balloon industry succeeded in bringing about a compromise, although the bill"s passage still would have meant significant changes in the use of mylar balloons here in California.
After passing the Senate and the Assembly, SB1499 was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who determined that other bills were a higher priority for the State of California. There is already a balloon law in place here in California. Current law mandates that helium-filled balloons be affixed to weights, attached to ribbon made of non-conductive material, and feature a label warning of the dangers of releasing balloons into the atmosphere. The current law has been in effect since 1990.
Although the balloon industry dodged this bullet, it"s important for anyone who puts on events to be aware of the current balloon laws, and make sure that they are followed, so that we don"t again face an all-out ban on helium-filled mylar balloons. In practical terms, what does this mean? It means that decorators in California can"t make helium filled arches out of mylar balloons, unless there is an anchor attached to each and every one of those mylar balloons- which would make it perfectly appropriate dcor for the back of the stage, or as a wall dressing, but not for over a dance floor. Also, mylar balloons cannot be used as free-floating balloons on the ceiling. In a room with panel ceilings, however, the same look could be achieved by hanging air-filled mylar balloons from the ceiling. One last tip, often at events, guests would like to take some of the balloons home with them. Having some extra balloon weights on hand would enable your guests to take their souvenir home, without violating the California balloon laws, or running the risk of inadvertently causing a power failure.
by: sandiballoon
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