Editor:
The Helper Arts and Music Festival released 2000 plus balloons in honor of the nine miners who lost their lives in the Crandall Canyon Disaster last Friday. I wonder if they realized what damage that many balloons could do to the environment. Once those balloons are out of sight, they explode at high elevations usually landing on the nearest or highest peak. I have had hunters tell me while looking for sheep on high mountain tops they have encountered numerous mylar and latex balloons.
The shiny material makes them very attractive to animals and birds and have been found in the stomachs and intestines of some animals. How long do you think it takes for mylar and latex balloons to disintegrate into the earth? Probably as long as plastic. I know I don’t want to see them when I hike.
To all the organizations and groups that want to do a tribute to loved ones or commemorate a precious occasion please reconsider the releasing of balloons into the air. I am sure another wonderful tribute to the miners could have been used.
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