Enfield
But for some Enfield residents, the ka-booms are a nuisance and the possible pollution a concern.
A group of lake residents are scheduled to meet with the Enfield Selectboard tonight to discuss their concerns about noise and water quality issues associated with fireworks. It’s unclear what they’ll ask the town to do; most aren’t talking ahead of the meeting.
Jeff Hinman, who owns a home on Mascoma Lake, requested the meeting, according to Town Manager Steve Schneider. Hinman declined to comment on his concerns when reached last week.
“He doesn’t want to ban fireworks, he just wants to contain them,” Selectboard member Meredith Smith said of Hinman.
She said residents have complained about fireworks being shot off at all hours of the night. Smith has also heard concerns from people who find plastic debris on beaches, and from those who worry chemicals might be polluting the water.
The meeting is expected to explore those concerns further, she said, and town officials aren’t expected to take any action quickly.
Selectboard member John Kluge said he’s heard similar complaints that fireworks displays around Mascoma Lake are not limited to the 4th of July, but go on all summer.
Some fireworks are detrimental to the environment and contain chemicals poisonous to animals, according to the state Department of Environmental Services. Fireworks can affect the odor and taste of drinking water, and litter can damage ecosystems, the DES maintains.
“We are definitely interested in learning more about that,” said Alison Flint, president of the Mascoma Lake Association.
The association was invited to take part in tonight’s discussion, but hasn’t taken a stance on the use of fireworks.
Instead, Flint said she wants to gather more evidence about their use on lakes and what happens to underwater ecosystems. Loons and eagles are frequently seen on the lake, she said, so there are signs that the wildlife is accustomed to it.
“I’ve been here for 50 years and every summer we have fireworks,” she said. “They are a way of life.”
Even if there is evidence of harm from fireworks, it’s not guaranteed the town would move to regulate them.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office has long questioned the safety of fireworks, but there are very few communities that take local action to prohibit them.
In the Upper Valley, Lebanon is the lone municipality to ban all retail fireworks other than sparklers, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office.
Enfield has an ordinance that regulates who can sell fireworks, but few communities in the area go further.
Enfield Fire Chief David Crate said he couldn’t recall any significant injuries or fires caused by fireworks in town.
“Through the summer months people have fireworks and so forth, and sometimes they get a little carried away in the evening, but I’ve had no problem,” he said. “Personally, I don’t see a problem.”
Crate lives near Mascoma Lake and said he can hear fireworks at late hours “but it’s not every night and kind of a seasonal ordeal.”
The Enfield Selectboard will take up a “tentative ordinance” at 6 p.m. tonight at the Enfield Public Works Facility, 74 Lockehaven Road.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.