City council members vote to make balloon, sky lantern releases illegal in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a city council meeting Tuesday night, 15 council members voted to ban balloon releases in Jacksonville.

There are currently similar bans in other surrounding areas such as St. Johns County and the beaches.

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Violators caught releasing balloons or sky lanterns could face a $50 fine for the first offense.

Balloon releases are typically used during memorial services or for celebration purposes, but they become hazardous to the environment because they litter the waterways days after they’ve been released.


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