Kait Labbate, Centretown News
Meaghan Murphy, an Ottawa Riverkeeper scientist, is the author of a study about the environmental impact of fireworks.Firework displays have become a huge attraction in downtown Ottawa over the past 20 years. And with 1,500 shells going off each show, Ottawa Riverkeeper says it is important that proper measures are taken to clean up the byproducts of these fireworks.
Meaghan Murphy, a scientist with the Ottawa-based environmental group, says there have been no comprehensive formal studies done on the Ottawa River to test the amount of contamination going into the water during summer firework extravaganzas.
Murphy does know, however, that fireworks produce many by-products that must end up in the water.
Heavy metals, perchlorates – a toxic liquid with powerful oxidizing properties – and other chemicals are released into the river after each show, says Murphy.
The most famous firework display that takes place in Ottawa is the Sound of Light festival. This event has moved from its original location at Lac Leamy to the Ottawa River to create a more accessible show for people in Ottawa and Gatineau.
Murphy says that when the festival was held over Lac Leamy, water testing was done every two years to monitor the environmental impact of the fireworks; however, since its recent change of venue in 2014, no testing has been done on the water.
In September, Murphy released a public report outlining the concerns Ottawa Riverkeeper has about the possible effects of fireworks on the Ottawa River.
In her report she says that while fireworks are a source of pollution, there are much more severe contaminants affecting the river that deserve greater attention. Last year, 552,000 cubic metres of raw sewage was released into the Ottawa River, which is equivalent to 220 Olympic-size swimming pools of liquid waste.
Aija Auzina, an Ecology Ottawa organizer for urban transportation and other issues, says it’s important to keep pollutants out of the river no matter what the source.
“Respecting the Ottawa ecosystem means not adding chemicals, heavy metals or sewage to our natural waterways,” says Auzina. “The unintended consequences of the firework shows is the residue of fine particles that end up in the Ottawa River, which is also the city’s drinking source. We must protect our rivers for ourselves and for a healthy ecosystem.”
In August, Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light hosted five firework displays over the Ottawa River between Parliament Hill and the Canadian Museum of History. International teams competed during the shows for the Zeus Trophy, a prize awarded by Sound of Light’s expert jury to the team displaying the most impressive fireworks.
The Sound of Light festival has become one of the National Capital Region’s leading tourist attractions. “Between the official site at Lac Leamy, the Canadian Museum of History, the Nepean Point (where Hospital Montfort Foundation welcomes spectators), and all the unofficial sites on both sides of the Ottawa River, we would be seen by 150,000 to 200, 000 spectators each year,” says Pierre Cuguen, media coordinator for Sound of Light’s explosive spectacles.
Murphy says that Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light has followed all necessary regulations to clean up the by-products produced by the fireworks.
“Organizers are required to pick up the debris from the shells and casings immediately after the event,” says Murphy.
According to her report inspectors from the Ministre du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MDDELCC) visited the site unannounced twice during last year’s event and found no issues of concern.
Murphy says that the chemicals in fireworks have improved over the past 50 years since toxic heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and mercury are no longer used. It is, however, impossible to stop pollutants and soot from falling into the river.
Although fireworks do not seem to be a major source of contamination on the Ottawa River, Riverkeeper’s Murphy insists that the water quality should be monitored after each firework display to ensure that no harm is done to the aquatic ecosystem.
Ottawa Riverkeeper hosted its annual public meeting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 6 at the Canadian Museum of Nature to explain the organization’s ongoing projects and initiatives to protect the river.