Are Balloon Releases Still Legal in New York State?

Balloon releases have long been associated with birthdays, graduations, or perhaps for honoring a loved one who has passed. However, there has been growing concern in recent years from advocates who don't want these materials made of rubber and nylon released into the environment anymore.

Other balloons made of Mylar can even become entangled in power lines and pose issues to the grid. According to local efforts in counties such as Suffolk, a mylar balloon hit a transformer and left over two thousand businesses and homes out of power one July 4th weekend.

The Hill reports that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that "bans people from intentionally releasing balloons into the air", as part of a new conservation effort. This makes Florida the tenth state in the country to ban balloon launches such as these. But where does New York stand?

Are Balloon Releases Still Legal in New York State?

Lawmakers have previously introduced legislation in New York to ban the release of balloons in the state, with "exceptions for manned hot air balloons, government-related experiments, and balloons released indoors." Many politicians and advocates cite the damage these materials can bring to waterways, parks, beaches, and wildlife as some of reasons for the proposed ban.

Google searches bring back some conflicting information concerning the issue, as the Balloon Laws page at Balloonsblow.org does not list New York state, or any cities within the state as having banned balloons being released outdoors.

Though there appears to be some ban that was passed in Suffolk County in 2019, that states: it is unlawful to release helium or lighter-than-air balloons in Suffolk County.

Another search shows that some individual towns, such as Hempstead, Southampton, and East Hampton have banned intentional release of balloons.

Other areas may have placed certain limits and exemptions on releases, though have not outright banned balloons all together. Currently aside from Florida, Connecticut, Maine, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Tennessee, and California have all banned intentional balloon releases, says News-Press

A Remarkable Look Inside 22 Of Upstate New York's Most Historic Churches!

There are just way too many beautiful churches in Upstate New York to even begin a comprehensive list of them all. So this gallery is a bit different. It is unique in that for each of the 22 historic places of worship we highlight, we also include a video tour of the interiors of the place (if available). If no video of the interior was possible, we inserted a video of the exterior, grounds, etc. So you can do your exploring from the comfort of your own laptop! You will enjoy seeing the splendor of these magnificent places in our gallery.

Here you will see majestic cathedrals, a Tibetan monastery, a church that ultimately found fame as a fort, a church that is world-renowned as a "temple to the art of Tiffany windows,: two important churches that were way stations along the Underground Railroad, plus the smallest church in the world!