Tybee Island considering permits for fireworks. PETA asks them to go further

Tybee Island’s City Council is considering banning fireworks on city property without a $100 special use permit. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is asking them to go a step further, either banning fireworks completely or allowing only silent fireworks, WSAV reports.

PETA made the request in a letter to Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman, which said that their recommendations would “create a stress free environment for all Tybee’s residents,” according to WSAV.

The organization went on to claim that the city was inundated with complaints during the week of Independence Day by Tybee residents, said WSAV, and noted concerns by City Councilman Barry Brown that fireworks were causing house fires, saying that both issues could be solved by “banning all but silent fireworks and requiring a $100 permit to use those.”

WSAV reports that PETA claimed that with silent fireworks, Tybee would “be able to ensure all the flash without the frightening noise of conventional fireworks while improving the quality of life for all who call Tybee Island home.”

Mayor Buelterman responded to PETA’s letter in a written statement to WSAV.

“We are doing all we can to limit fireworks,” he said. “I am working to get Glynn County on board with jointly petitioning the state to allow island communities to limit the use of fireworks for safety reasons.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Tybee Island considering permits for fireworks. PETA asks them to go further."