City of Laguna Beach looking to ban use and sale of all balloons

Th City of Laguna Beach is looking to ban the use and sale of all types of balloons, thanks to the efforts of one local man who has made it his mission to help his beloved home from the environmental dangers they present. 

The move would ban the use of balloons on all public property within city limits. 

Rich German, a Laguna Beach resident and avid paddleboarder, is urging city leaders to consider the ban in order to protect sea life and the environment. He hopes that he change would prompt other beach communities to do the same. 

"A couple years ago, it was like two days after Valentine's Day, I picked up 31 balloons in one encounter out on the ocean," German said. "All Valentine's balloons. Anytime there's a holiday like Valentine's Day or Prom or graduation, Mother's Day — rest assured in the next few days you're gonna see a lot of balloons out in the ocean."

German has partnered with several local foundations, including the Surfrider Foundation, in their effort to convince city council that all sorts of balloons, including Mylar balloons. should be outlawed anywhere in Laguna. 

The ordinance is set to go into effect as soon as 2024. 

"Here in Laguna Beach we're super sensitive about fires, a balloon that hits power lines could easily explode," German said, bringing back memories of number of a similar incidents that have occurred in Long Beach, Chino, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach in recent years. 

Mylar balloons hitting power lines often cause power outages, impacting millions of Americans every year, so much so that California lawmakers passed a law designed to phase out metallic balloons by 2028. 

"The law is welcomed by SCE," said Southern California Edison spokesperson Reggie Kumar. "The company experiences a spike in balloon-related outages starting with Valentine's Day, peaking in May and June."

In 2022 alone, SCE reported 802 balloon-related outages and nearly 100 explosions.