Kids planning to attend San Diego's July 4 celebration may want to go elsewhere after a judge ruled that anyone wanting to shoot off fireworks in the city is bound by California's environmental laws.
City spokesman Alex Roth on Friday said the city plans to appeal the ruling by San Diego Superior Court Judge Linda Quinn. The judge ruled that the city's annual firework celebration requires evaluation under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, SignonSanDiego.com reports.
The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by lawyer Marco Gonzalez -- which Roth and others called shameless.
"According to the strictest interpretation of this, jumpy-jumps and everything else would be subject to environmental review if this ruling stands," lawyer Robert Howard, who represented the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation, told SignonSanDiego.com. "It’s a breathtaking ruling.”
But Gonzalez claims the La Jolla Cove fireworks show generates noise and debris that harms sea life in a nearby marine sanctuary.
Fireworks organizers fear the ruling will require them to do costly environmental impact reports before receiving city permits.
"San Diego issues thousands of these simple park-use permits over the counter with the only consideration being space, just as other cities do across the state," City Attorney Jan Goldsmith told the website.
“Existing law has never been interpreted to require a CEQA review for this. ... This decision opens the door to absurd results. This is the reason appellate courts exist and we plan to ask for their help," Goldsmith reportedly said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report
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