Judge Grants Stay on Fireworks Show at Cove

The fireworks will stay, at least for now. A Superior Court judge, who recently ordered the city of San Diego to follow state environmental laws when issuing permits for fireworks shows, issued a stay on her ruling until August 31.

The decision by Judge Linda Quinn stems from a lawsuit filed by environmental lawyer Marco Gonzalez against the city and the organizers of the July 4 fireworks show at the La Jolla Cove.

Environmentalists contend debris from the airborne explosions harms sea life.

Gonzalez said he found the stay “troubling.”

“While we’re of course not happy with the court’s ruling, we understand the immense pressure the city and fireworks organizers have created by delaying these proceedings so long and by dragging in all the other events that could be possibly impacted by the ruling,” said Gonzalez.

“But in the end, what’s most important is that regardless of whether the La Jolla fireworks happen this year, there will be significant changes in the way the city handles these events going forward and that has been our goal all along,” he added.

Organizers of the fireworks show said they would not be able to afford the added expense of filing environmental reports with their permit. While attorneys for the city said that Parks and Recreation Department employees cannot take on the additional burden of processing the reports.

The City Attorney’s office issued a statement that stated “we are pleased that the judge agreed to stay her order so that the La Jolla fireworks can be held as they have been for over 25 years. The city’s park use permits are handled no differently than other cities across the state of California.”

Mayor Jerry Sanders said stay was great news for San Diegans.

“The idea that a once-a-year fireworks display poses a threat to the environment defies both basic common sense and scientific evidence,” he said.

Robert Howard, who represents the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation, told Sign on San Diego he was relieved and thrilled with the ruling.

“The judge has given us the time we need to address the court’s concerns and we’re happy to be in the position to move forward with this year’s event,” he said.

City News Service contributed to this report.