In the storied words of John Adams in his July 3, 1776 letter to Abigail, “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Nearly 250 years later, Americans have embraced his vision with gusto, setting off roughly 275 million pounds of fireworks each year, an astonishing jump from about one tenth of a pound per person in 1976, the U.S. Bicentennial year, to nearly one pound per person today, the vast majority imported from China. Yet, while these fleeting bursts of color and sound delight millions, they also release fine particulate matter and trace metals into our air, raising the perennial question of do we need to balance environmental protection with our national traditions?
A Surge in Particulate Pollution – But Only Very Briefly
A groundbreaking 2015 study by NOAA quantified the impact of Independence Day fireworks on particles (less than 2.5 microns in diameter) using data from 315 monitoring sites nationwide. On average, 24 hour particulate matter concentrations during the 6 pm to midnight window on July 4th were 42% higher than on surrounding days, with the largest hourly spike occurring between 9 pm and 10 pm and levels returning to baseline by noon on July 5th. While some urban monitors briefly recorded readings above the EPA’s 24 hour standard, the spike is both short lived and localized; by the next day, air quality rebounds, minimizing sustained exposure risks.
The Chemistry Behind the Celebrations
Fireworks owe their brilliance to metal salts: strontium compounds create deep reds, sodium salts produce yellows, barium yields vibrant greens, and copper compounds, particularly copper chloride, give those rare blues. In a typical aerial shell, potassium perchlorate serves as the oxidizer, charcoal and sulfur form the black powder propellant, and dextrin or other binders hold star compositions together.
Upon ignition, these materials combust and aerosolize, generating particulate matter laden with metal residues. Yet, because fireworks are designed to detonate at altitude, much of the debris disperses high above ground level, diluting before reaching populated areas.
Minimal Federal and State Regulation
In the United States, the federal government sets only the minimum standards for consumer fireworks under CPSC and ATF regulations, limiting composition weights and lash powder quantities, but does not regulate their use for air quality purposes. Beyond safety permits issued by state fire marshals (for “firework shooters,” manufacturers, and sellers), nearly every jurisdiction, 49 states plus DC, allows some form of consumer fireworks; Massachusetts stands alone in banning their sale and use without a permit. Local permits for large displays may be required, but enforcement focuses almost entirely on fire and injury prevention, not emissions control.
Exceptional Events and the Clean Air Act
Recognizing that the brief particulate surges from fireworks are integral to traditional celebrations, Congress and EPA have treated them as “exceptional events” under 40 CFR § 50.14, alongside wildfires and high winds, allowing states to exclude fireworks influenced data from regulatory determinations if they demonstrate a clear causal link to cultural events like July 4th festivities.
The Rose Park, Utah “Fireworks Exceptional Event” report illustrates this process: filter analysis showed greater than 75% of particulate matter mass attributable to black powder components (potassium nitrate, sulfur, carbon) and trace metals, and light evening winds carried plumes to monitoring sites; EPA concurred in 2019 that these data be excluded from design-value calculations, preserving attainment status without penalizing cultural traditions.
Temporary Guidance for Sensitive Populations
Although the EPA’s “Particulate Matter Pollution” webpage offers general tips for reducing particulate matter exposure, it’s now archived fireworks specific guidance acknowledged that while most individuals experience no effects from short exposures, infants, children, and persons with respiratory conditions may be more sensitive. Accordingly, vulnerable individuals are advised to watch displays from upwind locations or indoors, though practical avoidance is challenging near community events.
Beyond Air: Coastal Waters and the Clean Water Act
In coastal regions like San Diego, concerns shift from air to water. Under an NPDES general permit (Order No. R9-2022-0002), any fireworks display over ocean or bay waters must minimize fallout and debris via best management practices (post-event cleanup, debris collection), balancing aquatic protection with public celebration. Litigation by San Diego Coastkeeper and CERF against SeaWorld highlights enforcement under the Clean Water Act, pressing for strict adherence to discharge permits and exploring nonpolluting alternatives like drone shows.
Judicial Remedies vs. Regulatory Chills
Where actual harms arise, whether fire start incidents or debris induced water pollution, traditional tort and Clean Water Act enforcement mechanisms remain available. But absent concrete injuries or permit violations, courts have little basis to curtail fireworks that fleetingly degrade air quality. This deference reflects a societal judgment: the joy and unity fireworks engender outweigh their transient environmental footprint.
Conclusion: A Model of Regulatory Restraint?
Fireworks, first developed in 2nd century BC China, have illuminated human festivities for millennia. In the U.S., our legal framework largely exempts them from lasting regulation under air and water laws, treating particulate surges as short lived cultural trade offs rather than ongoing public health threats. We recognize this as a rare instance where the balance tips sharply toward tradition, with minimal bureaucratic burden.
Perhaps other regulatory arenas could learn from this “explosive” example, favoring cultural values and individual enjoyment over heavy handed controls, so long as real harms remain negligible and remedies for actual damage endure.
In the interests of disclosure, I do not represent any fireworks manufacturers, but I do very much enjoy a good copper chloride blue. Happy 4th of July!
