Balloon releases that have accompanied memorial events or other special occasions for years could soon be a thing of the past.

A western Pennsylvania lawmaker, Rep. Matthew Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset), introduced a bill earlier this summer that would make it illegal for any state or local organization, entity or person older than age 13 from intentionally releasing a balloon into the atmosphere. The only exceptions to the law would be for hot air balloons or those released for scientific or meteorological purposes.

“Balloons released into the sky have been known to end up miles from where they were released and hurt or even kill the animals they come in contact with,” Dowling said in a memo introducing the bill. “The purpose of the bill is to reduce the hazards and pollution caused by free-floating balloons. In rural Pennsylvania this bill would help safeguard livestock, farm animals, and family pets.”

According to the legislation, violators could face penalties ranging from community service to fines up to $100.

Synthetic rubber from balloons stay in the environment indefinitely, Franklin Klock, Carbon County Environmental Education Center naturalist said.

“Wherever they end up, they often look like food to other animals, especially if they’re red or orange,” Klock said. “It may look like blood so birds may eat them. That balloon gets stuck in the in the bodies of the birds they can’t process it and it basically prevents them from eating anything else.”

The same thing happens to aquatic life, Klock added, especially around large bodies of water.

“If the balloons end up in the water, they may look like an aquatic worm or they may look like a fish,” Klock said. “So larger fish are eating them, ducks will sometimes eat them and so forth. It’s just a bad idea all the way around.”

Also dangerous are the ribbons attached to balloons, as animals may become entangled in them, causing injuries or strangulation. Klock said he has seen animals come in to the center with strings wrapped around their feet or their necks. Whether the strings came from balloons can be difficult to confirm, but the dangers remain.

“Some birds will use those things for nesting material as well,” Klock said. “Because it looks like something natural. It looks like grass or something and they’ll take it back to a nest. We’ve had baby birds that get tangled in them and people will bring us these nests with unfortunately dead baby birds with string wrapped around them.”

The website balloonsblow.org, Klock said, has additional information regarding the dangers of balloon releases.

Dowling’s bill has also gained support from organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States.

“Balloon litter is detrimental to Pennsylvania’s environment and causes immense pain and suffering to animals who mistake deflated or burst balloon pieces for food or get entangled in their strings,” Kristen Tullo, the organization’s Pennsylvania state director, said. “We are grateful to Rep. Dowling for introducing a bill to ban intentional balloon releases.”

The bill has been referred to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.