City of Allentown issued the following announcement on June 26.
Allentown residents unhappy with Pennsylvania’s current fireworks law are encouraged to register their displeasure with state lawmakers.
Act 43 of 2017 repealed the Fireworks Act of 1939. A new measure permits the in-state sale of consumer grade fireworks to Pennsylvania residents.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police, consumers can now purchase and use “Class C” or “consumer-grade” fireworks that include firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets, and similar fireworks that contain a maximum of 50 milligrams of explosive material. The expansion includes those fireworks that were previously only available to out-of-state residents.
“We’re hearing the fireworks and the complaints,” said Mayor Ray O’Connell. “We need a change in state law to try to get the problem under control.”
City ordinance restricts the use of fireworks within 150 feet of an occupied structure, making them illegal virtually everywhere in the city. Even if caught in the act, police cannot seize remaining fireworks from any offender.
Fireworks are a hazard to all. Statistics show that 25% of victims of firework-related accidents are not the individual who set off the fireworks. According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks used by consumers cause an average of 18,500 fires annually, resulting in $43 million in property damage.
Click here for fireworks safety information and videos from the National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-causes/Fireworks.
Call or email our state legislators found here www.allentownpa.gov/Government/Fireworks to tell them you want to protect quality of life in your neighborhood by ridding it from the dangers of hazardous consumer grade fireworks.
Original source can be found here.
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