Waterford Resident Cleans Park After Fireworks Display

NIANTIC, CT- McCook Point Park was nearly blanketed in many areas Monday with the remains of fireworks, seemingly from the Celebrate East Lyme Day display. Waterford resident Josh Kelly came across the mess nearly two days after the event had ended, with seemingly none of the scraps having been moved or cleaned in any capacity, according to a release.

After three hours of collecting litter in the park, Kelly hand-counted more than 2,600 separate pieces of litter, which included plastics, metal, string, and cardboard, the vast majority of which was lined with chemicals from the fireworks. This was removed from the park, thanks to Kelly, and the litter collected weighed a total of 16.97 pounds. (To sign up for Waterford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Due to the positioning of the fireworks however, it is quite likely that several times that amount of litter was cast into the Sound as a part of the display. Additionally, over a dozen piles of powder were found on the ground of the park, which appeared to be chemicals from the fireworks.

Numerous scientific studies have documented the adverse effects of such chemicals on both local ecosystems and human health.

Kelly is an elected official in Waterford, serving on both the town’s Conservation Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals as an alternate, and is seeking election to the Representative Town Meeting in District 3 this November on the environmentalist Green Party platform.

Anyone interested in hearing more about the Green Party’s hands-on efforts or platform are encouraged to attend their next meeting and nominating convention at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, at the Waterford Public Library.

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