Oakland County Man Leads Petition Drive to Repeal Fireworks Act

Thousands in Michigan this summer are still upset about all the extra noise lately, a result of new laws allowing easier access to consumer-grade fireworks.

West Bloomfield resident Brad Lang is among them and is soliciting support from Michigan residents to repeal the Fireworks Safety Act of 2011, which was designed to increase revenue for the state and encourage citizens to buy consumer fireworks in Michigan rather than in neighboring states.

"The result has been a drastic increase in the amount and violence of private fireworks displays all over the state of Michigan, thereby endangering people, pets and property. It is not worth the additional revenue," Lang wrote in a letter to members of the Michigan civic action group, MoveOn.

Lang has created a petition at SignOn.org, asking legislators to repeal the law, and already, the cause has attracted like-minded signers from across Metro Detroit and the state.

Already, 4,700 residents have signed the petition — the petition is looking to have 5,000 signatures — citing record-breaking dry conditions, high costs for health care and noise pollution as reasons to repeal the law.

"We call upon the members of the Michigan Legislature to immediately repeal the Fireworks Safety Act 256 of 2011, and for the Governor to sign that repeal, in the interest of the safety and well-being of the citizens of Michigan," the petition reads.

In late June, the except before, on and after national holidays, citing concerns with safety and enforcement costs.

"It's a costly thing for us (to enforce fireworks ordinances)," Nickita said. "As a municipality, we're spending our time doing this when we could, of course, be doing more important things."

also shows support for a repeal: 65 percent of those who answered said the act "goes too far."