Helium balloons in dying days:

Discovery

Florio

Zipf

When hands release helium-filled balloons and send them into the sky, they’re doing more than marking a wedding, graduation or death. They’re also stirring the pot in a clash between the balloon industry and environmentalists seeking to deflate a tradition they say harms wildlife.

Critics call the balloons litter that poses a deadly threat to fish, birds and other animals, as well as hazards to power lines. Their efforts are contested by The Balloon Council, a trade group based in Trenton that represents balloon manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.

The council was founded in 1990, around the time activists in New Jersey first tried to ban balloon launches in the state, and has spent more than $1 million in the past five years lobbying against balloon regulations nationwide.

The group is again lobbying against a measure proposed in the New Jersey Senate to ban the balloon launches, arguing that efforts have been based on rumor, inaccurate news reports and “expert” assertions and would have severely limited consumer’s rights. “We take the issues seriously, but educating retailers and consumers is the best way to go,” said Dale Florio of the Princeton Public Affairs Group, a lobbying group that represents the council. Banning launches, he said, unfairly hurts small businesses.

“The paint (on the balloons) will wear off over time, and become transparent,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, a New Jersey-based environmental group. “Marine life often mistake balloons for their natural prey, such as jellyfish, and the balloons can block their digestive systems of animals, causing a long and painful death.” (AP)