Delegate suggests firework sales ban

A delegate of the Shanghai People's Congress (SPC) has suggested that the municipal government ban the sale of fireworks in the city, local media reported Tuesday.

The purpose of the proposal is to fight air pollution caused by the popular activity, which residents traditionally take part in for celebrations such as weddings and holidays such as the Spring Festival.

Long firework displays can cause air pollution levels to rise drastically. On the eve of this year's Chinese New Year, when residents typically set off massive firework displays, the level of PM 2.5 in Shanghai spiked to 524 micrograms per cubic meter around 1 am, seven times the recommended limit of 75 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center. Although the PM 2.5 level fell rapidly after 1 am, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) continued to show heavy pollution until 10 am. 

Shanghai has regulations that limit when and where residents can set off fireworks, said Li Ming, a delegate of the SPC and the chief lawyer at Sloma&Co. However, because the rules are often ignored and are difficult to enforce, Li believes it would be easier to ban the sale of fireworks.

Li said there are a lot of ways to celebrate without setting off fireworks. "We hope that residents will be more considerate when they celebrate so they can influence others," he told the Global Times.

Some residents were skeptical about a ban. "It's impossible to stop people from setting off fireworks in Shanghai," said Jiang Nan, who got married at the end of last year. "My family set off thousands of yuan worth of firecrackers for my wedding. Although it was noisy and caused pollution, our neighbors understood because it's a tradition. Everyone does it."

Even if residents followed a ban, its effect on pollution would be limited at best. Fireworks account for a miniscule amount of the city's air pollution, said Dai Xingyi, the director of the Center of Urban Environmental Management Studies at Fudan University.

The top three sources of air pollution in Shanghai are the burning of coal, motor vehicle exhaust and oil smoke from kitchens. "When compared with those, fireworks barely count as a pollutant," Dai told the Global Times.

In addition, pollution from fireworks tends to quickly dissipate, Dai said.

Li also suggested that the fire department take apart illicit fireworks rather than setting them on fire. Firefighters burned 23,000 boxes of illegal fireworks in Pudong New Area last month.

Fire officials said that burning remained the most effective way to destroy fireworks because taking them apart would be far too expensive, according to a report in the Shanghai Morning Post.