[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of East Hampton 2-7-2019 by L.L. No. 7-2019. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:
BALLOON
A flexible porous or nonporous bag made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene mylar or nylon fabric that can be inflated or filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, air or water, and then sealed at the neck, usually as a toy or decoration.
[Amended 12-14-2021 by L.L. No. 25-2021]
[Amended 12-14-2021 by L.L. No. 25-2021]
A. 
No person shall intentionally release or dispose of any balloon, except in public receptacles, in authorized private receptacles, or in designated areas within Town of East Hampton recycling centers.
B. 
No person, firm, corporation or other entity shall organize the release of, condone the release of, or intentionally cause to be released, any balloon.
C. 
Commencing January 1, 2022, it shall be prohibited for any person, firm, corporation or other entity to engage in the sale and/or distribution of mylar, foil and/or any balloons filled with helium or any other type of lighter than air gas, whether for public or private use.
These restrictions shall not apply to:
A. 
Balloons that are being used for the purpose of carrying scientific instrumentation during the performance of an experiment or testing procedure or by a person on behalf of a governmental agency or pursuant to a governmental contract for scientific or meteorological purposes;
B. 
Hot air balloons that are recovered after launching;
C. 
Balloons released indoors.
Any person committing an offense against any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a violation pursuant to the Penal Law of the State of New York, punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The continuation of an offense against the provisions of this chapter shall constitute, for each day the offense is continued, a separate and distinct offense hereunder.