General (35)
Susana Barrios
From:Stephanie Mercadante <burglin.stephanie@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, May 5, 2026 6:22 PM
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] On Behalf of Stephanie Mercadante, District 4, Councilmember Norma
Campos Kurtz
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
For public comment on May 5, 2026:
Good evening, Mayor and Council Members,
City leadership continues to make statements about water safety without providing the data to
support them.
At the June 25, 2025, Public Utilities Board meeting, Craig Parker stated that Disneyland fireworks do
not use perchlorates. No documentation has been provided to verify that claim.
At the April 22, 2026, meeting, Dukku Lee said the water quality presentation “addressed the issues”
and suggested residents were bouncing between PFAS and perchlorates.
Residents are not bouncing between anything. Multiple contaminants are affecting the same water
system, and concerns about all of them have been consistent.
Fireworks are a documented contributor of perchlorate, especially in communities with frequent
shows. For decades, Anaheim has hosted nightly Disneyland fireworks, seasonal holiday shows, and
additional displays at Angel Stadium.
Councilmember Balius recently suggested perchlorate could come from other sources. That may be
true, but the City has presented no analysis comparing those sources to the impact of years of
repeated fireworks activity. Without analysis, the City cannot credibly claim fireworks are not a factor.
Perchlorate is only one part of the broader water-quality picture. Anaheim is dealing with multiple
contaminants — PFAS, perchlorate, and others — all present in the same system. Residents are
asking about cumulative environmental impact, not a single pollutant in isolation.
We already know contamination exists. Several Anaheim wells have tested positive for perchlorate.
Treatment systems are being installed at significant cost.
Meanwhile, other jurisdictions are responding to similar concerns.
In Long Beach, the California Coastal Commission denied a July 3 fireworks permit due to
environmental concerns.
In San Diego, a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit has been filed against SeaWorld for fireworks-related
pollution, and SeaWorld is now transitioning to drone shows.
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Regulators are acting, lawsuits are advancing, and major operators are changing their practices.
So here are the questions that require direct answers:
1.
2.
3. What analysis has the City conducted on the cumulative
4. environmental impact of decades of fireworks?
5.
6.
7.
8. When will the City conduct an independent study
9. of fireworks-related perchlorate contributions?
10.
11.
12.
13. When will the City evaluate legacy contamination
14. in soil and groundwater?
15.
If the City cannot state, with evidence, that fireworks have not contributed to perchlorate or other
pollutants, then the absence of required testing is a serious concern.
Known contributors are NOT being evaluated while other agencies are taking action.
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