On Friday, the California Coastal Commission will decide whether to allow a fireworks show over Alamitos Bay on Labor Day weekend to replace the Big Bang on the Bay Independence Day celebration that was canceled this year.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, which took over as the event’s lead organizer this year, had to cancel the July 3 fireworks after learning they did not submit the coastal permit application far enough in advance.
At Friday morning’s meeting, the state commission will evaluate three options for a Sept. 1 aerial display to take place near the Alamitos Bay Marina.
Those options are land-based fireworks, water-based fireworks and a drone show that would take place southwest of the Peninsula.
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A water-based fireworks show is the organizer’s preference, consisting of a 20-minute round of pyrotechnics launched from a barge in Alamitos Bay, according to the third-party report presented to the state commission.
Don Rodriguez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, said he’s “very hopeful” the coastal permit will be approved for fireworks shot from a barge.
“We wanted to do something to thank the community for their support. It’s a great opportunity for people to get together,” Rodriguez said.
The land-based fireworks event would use the parking lot at the end of the Peninsula on Ocean Boulevard to send off the fireworks southwest of the Alamitos Bay Marina.
A drone show would require between several hundred and a thousand drones. Spectators would not be allowed directly under the show in case a drone fails and falls out of the sky, according to the Coastal Commission staff report.
That rule would require the drone show to take place outside of Alamitos Bay and over the ocean southwest of the peninsula using the parking lot at the end of Ocean Boulevard for the launch and recovery of the drones.
Each event option was evaluated based on environmental impacts including water quality, trash, avian impact, sound levels and air quality.
The drone show was deemed more likely to impact birds than the land-based or water-based fireworks show, according to the third-party report.
A laser light show was deemed not feasible because of potential disturbance to aircraft operating near Long Beach Airport or the port complex.
For 2023’s event, the Coastal Commission approved a permit that included 11 special conditions to comply with the coastal access and recreation policies of the state Coastal Act.
At Friday’s meeting, commission staff will recommend approving only this year’s event with those same 11 special conditions to avoid creating any new long-term adverse impacts on the surrounding area and its wildlife, according to the report.
If approved, the permit also contains the stipulation that any application for a permit for a similar fireworks show in 2025 or beyond will have to be submitted by no later than Jan. 15 of the year in which the event will occur.
If a fireworks show is approved, all fireworks must be made of biodegradable, non-plastic materials. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach would also be required to hire a consultant to conduct environmental monitoring before, during and after the event to reduce impacts on coastal resources.
A plan to dispose of event waste and firework debris immediately following the event was also included in the permit application.
Big Bang on the Bay was started by restaurant owner John Morris in 2011. He was able to produce the fireworks show for years through an expedited exemption process.
In recent years, the Coastal Commission received complaints that the fireworks show was affecting water quality and harming migratory birds, leading to a more rigorous permitting process.
After winning a court battle over those pollution concerns in 2023, Morris handed over organizing duties this year to The Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, which, he said, planned to use the event as its marquee fundraiser.