Proposed Legislation May Exempt La Jolla Fireworks Show From Environmental Review

A coalition of organizations will announce today that legislation has been introduced in the state Senate to exempt certain special events from needing environmental reviews.

SB 973, introduced last week by Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, and coauthored by Assemblyman Martin Garrick, R-Carlsbad, would exempt events of a limited duration from provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act.

Such events were defined in the bill as recreational tournaments, sporting events, youth tournaments, racing or walking events, fireworks displays, holiday celebrations, concerts, military appreciation events, block parties, weddings, job fairs, festivals and parades, street fairs, beaches and neighborhood cleanups, farmers' markets, and art markets.

A controversy broke out in San Diego last year when environmentalists sued the city over the issuance of permits for fireworks shows, particularly a July 4 display at .

Attorney Marco Gonzalez prevailed in his argument that the city failed to follow its own written policy to require environmental reviews before handing out such permits.

Organizers of the La Jolla fireworks show contended that they didn't have enough money to compile the reports.

The city has since rewritten its policy for issuing special event permits.

The “Save Our Events Coalition” includes the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, among others.

–City News Service