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Columbia Co. bans sales of small fireworks
Jun 18, 2018 5:30 am
Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Columbia County Board of Supervisors voted June 13, to ban the sale and possession of small fireworks countywide. The decision comes one year after the state Legislature approved a law that permitted the sale and use of sparkling devices, but gave counties the power to opt out and prohibit sparklers. As authorized by the supervisors, Local Law No. 3 bans cylindrical fountains, cone fountains, wooden sparkler or dipped sticks, party poppers and snappers. The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York advises against the use of sparklers. The Association cited a report from the National Fire Protection Association that found sparklers accounted for approximately 28 percent of all fireworks injuries in 2014. Objections to the law raised by individual supervisors included concern over the use of resources to enforce the legislation and the loss of potential sales tax revenue. Those in support of the measure said it would protect firefighters, due to the fire danger posed by the devices. Under the new Columbia County law, violators will face varying degrees of criminal charges and fines. Greene County approved legislation in 2016 legalizing the sale and use of sparklers. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.