Fountain Hills will soon be releasing chemical cocktails containing lead, copper and other toxic metals into our sky, lake and lungs under the guise of “tradition” and “patriotism.”

I contacted the Town’s fireworks vendor, seeking brand/make, type/model, country/state of manufacture, chemical components and warning label language.

The director of operations replied, “We are curious about the reason(s) for your inquiry as we have never had anyone ask these questions before.” The vendor ignored my explanation and repeated attempts to get answers. A Town of Fountain Hills official finally got a response: “…will not be providing this information…and suggested that general firework information can be found on the internet.” Wow.

Dr. Terry Gordon, NYU Langone Health professor and senior author of “Toxicity of Particles Emitted By Fireworks”: “Our results suggest that inhaling firework smoke may cause longer term damage – a risk that has been largely ignored. Although people are only exposed to these substances for a short time each year, they are much more toxic than the pollutants we breathe every day.”

The Health Effects Institute: “Fireworks particulate matter concentrations can be high enough to trigger health effects, especially for children and older adults and those living with respiratory diseases.”

More than 300 residents signed my petition asking Fountain Hills to establish a new tradition that integrates patriotism with responsible, humane, family-fun entertainment. We should be thoughtful of residents, particularly those suffering with respiratory health conditions and PTSD, our wildlife and domestic pets. July 5 is the busiest day of the year for animal shelters, according to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control.

Maricopa County pollution is among the worst in the country. When we budget for events, we must consider all costs. That especially includes deleterious costs not calculated in dollars.