Fireworks Display in Hong Kong Marks 10th Return Anniversary

   Fireworks light up the sky during celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland at the Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, on July 1, 2007.(Xinhua Photo)

http://www.chinaview.cn, 5th July,2007

663 Fireworks Injuries Reported in Beijing

   BEIJING, Feb. 25 -- A total of 663 people have been injured by fireworks in Beijing since the eve of the Spring Festival, nine more than the same period last year.

   According to statistics from the Beijing Health Bureau, 426 injuries occurred within the Fifth Ring Road, accounting for 64.2 percent of the total and up 14.62 percent from last year.

   Among the injured, one death was reported on first day of the new year. A total of 161 suffered eye injuries, while 252 were injured in the face or body. A total of 101 were burned by fireworks and 148 suffered combined injuries.

   According to the bureau, about 60 percent of the injuries were caused by setting off fireworks improperly, while 18.1 percent resulted from the poor quality of the fireworks.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 25th February,2007

Beijing Collects 2,600 Tons of Fireworks Debris in Lunar New Year Period

   BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Sanitation workers collected 2,600 tons of fireworks debris in the Chinese capital during the seven-day Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, the most important festival in China.

   Sources with the Beijing Municipal Administration Commission said that some 87,500 sanitation workers and 1,729 sweepers spent seven days and nights collecting tattered red-paper cardboard casings from spent fireworks on 2,698 streets, totaling 51.24 million square meters in the city.

   Fireworks are part of traditional celebrations marking the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, a big day for family reunion, which falls on February 18 this year.

   Since Beijing lifted a 12-year ban in 2006, fireworks have made a loud return to the city, with sales increasing sharply this year to 380,000 boxes, compared with 240,000 boxes last year, according to a municipal public security official.

   Sanitation workers started on the night of February 17 sweeping debris of firecrackers ignited on the eve of the Lunar New Year as the municipal authorities had ordered an early clean-up.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 25th February,2007

Conditions in China have not improved since the closing of San Shui.

The following article is reprinted with the permission of Black Cat Fireworks

Conditions in China have not improved since the closing of San Shui.

Hopefully this dialog will help you understand the circumstances that arc currently facing us all for exports of fireworks from China .

We are all faced with two challenges:
1) Not enough equipment available through the few remaining ports that can handle hazardous material; and
2) Tighter government regulations now make the loading process slower and more cumbersome.

Who does this effect?
ALL fireworks companies - worldwide!

Why the big impact?
The loss of the San Shui port leaves the fireworks world scrambling to find an outlet for the approximately 12,000 containers (yes, containers not cartons) of fireworks this port handled.

Why can't other ports pick up the slack?

1. As a member of the World Trade Organization, China only has a limited number of ports that can even handle hazardous cargo;
2. The existing ports cannot increase their capacities (equipment, land storage & handling areas) to pick up the total quantity of containers that San Shui handled; and
3. Government regulations for fireworks and hazardous material handling make the process more dif­ficult.

Why is the Chinese Government making the situation more difficult?

1. A main culprit is due to the misidentifying of cargo by fireworks industry companies, i.c., paper­work that does not correctly state the cargo as fireworks or does not state the cargo correctly as either 1.1, 1.3 or 1.4 fireworks cargo;
2. The container in Changsha that exploded last May and killed a worker was believed to be misiden­tified as 1.4 but was either 1.1 or 1.3 product. Now the CC113 (The China Government Testing Organization for Export) is very strict on following the UN Default Classification; and
3. The government is worried about the safety of workers knowing what product they are handling and how such product should he handled.

What if we have to pay higher freight costs?
1) Unfortunately, expect to pay more for freight. We always negotiate for a better rate, but sonic feeder lines and others are increasing their freight due to the increase in their costs;

1. Several carriers have already increased rates $1,000 per vessel:
2. For those companies that used Maersk, Maersk does not serve the Shanghai port and Nan­sha is hacked up. (Nansha can only handle approx 3,500 containers maximum per year anyway): and
3. We have no guarantees that the rates will not go higher in spring.

What are our freight options?
No one wants to may more for freight than we have to but here are your choices:

1. Wait for the situation to get better (There is no indication of this now. Getting better would mean (a) more vessels that can handle hazardous cargo will service the remaining ports and (b) the government regulations will he eased);
2. Wait until the shipping lines can get my container out at the lower rate. (The backlog pro­vides no guarantee of who's container will get out when. In November we were given space (Or con­tainers 3 weeks in advance, however, when it got down to loading time we were only provided with 50% of our requests. Only 50% of our planned and hooked shipments left, China; and
3. Take the first container available at the current rate available and hope the feeder lines, the shipping port and the ocean carriers all have enough equipment in place to accept your container in a timely fashion.

Examples of industry problems this fall:

1. One company had 97 fireworks containers that could not he shipped to meet their sea­sonal demand in Europe, even alter offering to pay $1000 more per container. As a result, the prod­uct was not shipped to waiting customers;
2. One company was paying freight of $6000, but was re quoted $8000 and then later this was re-quoted to $15000 (CLASS B);
3. We've already mentioned in earlier emails where containers were inspected and found to have fireworks contents, but the paperwork said toys in one case and umbrellas in another; and
4. Delays are already occurring and some of our customers have experienced this.

So what can we all do?
Simply stated:

1. Take your shipments as quickly as possible; and
2. Accept whatever shipping vessels are available now

What is Shiu Fung's position with all of this?

1. We act legally - proper declarations, comply to the laws and regulations.
2. We have bargaining and influential power - we arc one of the biggest, if not the biggest, exporters of fireworks from China.
3. We have a group of core vendors which we manage and give them technical support to make sure that the products are safe and comply to different regulations in various markets.
4. We have our own testing program (ready to apply for ISO 9000 certification) and technical support to enhance no.1
5. We have warehousing facilities in the main production areas in China.
6. We have a strong, aggressive and hardworking team of merchandising and logistic staff to make sure that we operate to satisfy the needs of our customers.
7. We have a strong marketing team for brand building and marketing
8. We try our very best to he the best of the best.

According to the meeting in Beijing organized by the international Fireworks Association in China, a lot of representatives from the shipping companies attended. IFA proposed to have independ­ent 3rd party to inspect every container.
Coincidently, nearly all the representatives from shipping companies said that they do not think that this proposal would work, but they are selecting good and reputable companies to work with to ensure that containers that they are taking are safe. This is very important as they have great responsi­bility to the shipping companies, crew members, owners of the goods in the containers on their vessels, that the goods that they take arc safe.
With the closure of San Shui, if nothing new happens, we anticipate that the whole firework export industry will shrink by 30%.

Can the situation change?
Of course we hope so, but we don't know when. This could he a problem for several years. We know many associations, companies, factories, exporters, regional governments and ourselves are try­ing to get relief. However, none
is in sight right now.
We are sharing this information with you because we are concerned that without any changes in the current situation, some companies MAY NOT receive their July 4th orders. We will have the product made, but the means to
get them out to you is severely crippled at this time.
We hope this provides you with the current serious situation we arc all facing in China. Best Regards, BLACK CAT MARKETING USA

Robert Flanagan
www.BlackCatFireworks.com

National Fireworks Association (NFA News Letter, Volume II, Issue V, December 2006)

More Bucks Spent For More Bang

Sales of fireworks for private use are skyrocketing By RICK ROMELL rromell@journalsentinel.com Posted: Sept. 8, 2006 Fond du Lac - For Dan Promen, Mick Marietta and Alex Chu, every day is the Fourth of July. It's a good time to be in the fireworks business. Promen sells them, Marietta distributes them and Chu, as an executive for one of the thousands of Chinese companies that produce almost all of the fireworks that spangle U.S. skies, makes them. All are doing well. This week, they and hundreds of other industry participants are here for the National Fireworks Association Expo, discussing arcane regulations, shooting off explosives and signing deals in what has become, as Marietta put it without a hint of irony, a booming business. His family's wholesale operation, Jake's Fireworks Inc. of Pittsburg, Kan., runs six warehouses across the Midwest and South, and has been riding the success of products such as Excalibur, a high-flying artillery shell, and One Bad Mother, a multishot "cake" that explodes in a series of what the firm describes as gold willows and crackling flowers. Promen, meanwhile, has seen revenue rise every year since 1993, when his summer-only shop south of Fond du Lac joined the growing number of fireworks outlets in Wisconsin, where a convoluted law appears to ban the sale of fireworks but in fact is either easily circumvented or virtually unenforced.

Photo/Mark Hoffman Tom and Linda Barnes of Kansas preview products in Fond du Lac. "We're in a very patriotic period ... and I think that's got a lot to do with it." - Mick Marietta, fireworks distributor

Made in China

As for Chu, he's marketing manager for Centex Development Ltd., a Hong Kong firm that employs more than 600 people at two factories in a Chinese city called Liuyang.

"Liuyang is the hometown for fireworks," Chu said during a break from setting up Centex's booth at the Expo's trade show. "They have about 3,000 manufacturers there."

And their legions of employees, working largely by hand, mix gunpowder with color-producing elements such as lithium (red), sodium (gold) and copper (blue) to produce fireworks for the world.

Last year, China exported 268 million pounds of fireworks to the United States. That represented 98% of all imports, which is to say pretty much all fireworks sold in the country.

"Honestly, American manufacturing of fireworks is a thing of the past," said Bill Weimer, vice president of B.J. Alan Company Inc., an Ohio firm that runs Phantom Fireworks stores nationwide, including Wisconsin.

But sales of fireworks, particularly "backyard" or consumer fireworks, are soaring. Although imports of big professional fireworks have grown only modestly, imports of consumer fireworks since 1999 have doubled.

"A lot of (people) are using them for New Year's Eve, for weddings. Some even have their cremains put in a shell and shot in the air," Promen said. "We've even had requests to do divorces. . . . People are seeing it as more than just the Fourth of July."

Why? Promen and Marietta attribute the gains to improved products - more brilliant colors, new effects, fewer duds - and increased safety that has prompted some states to ease previous restrictions. Since 1998, the number of injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks used has dropped in half, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, another trade group. Since 1980, according to the association, it has fallen 83%.

Skirting local laws

They also seem to know something of how government works. Take Wisconsin. The American Pyrotechnics Association describes it as specifically prohibiting consumer fireworks that get shot into the air, such as skyrockets, Roman candles and aerial salutes. But that doesn't stop them from being sold here.

Since Wisconsin law allows possession of fireworks by those holding a permit issued by the chief official of the community "in which the possession or use is to occur," some retailers provide permits from the local government. The town or village gets the permit fees; the retailer gets legal cover.

The law doesn't allow a permit to be issued to an individual, but Washington County's Town of Addison and the Phantom store there get around that by issuing the permit to the Phantom Fireworks Users Association. Customers, in turn, are enrolled in the group when they pay the $4 permit fee and buy their fireworks.

"It's just common-sense silly," Lomira Village President Augie Luedtke said of the law, which Lomira also uses to its advantage, collecting $15,000 this year from sales at a store called Fireworks City.

"It's a nice chunk of change," Luedtke said of the revenue stream.

Both the Village of Lomira and the Town of Addison, incidentally, ban use of fireworks in their communities.

But Wisconsin's law was far from the minds of retailers and wholesalers from across the country Thursday night, as they watched manufacturers demonstrate their latest goods for two hours at Lakeside Park.

Centex featured offerings such as Bloody Shark and Turbulent City. China National Samkwong's demonstration schedule included Happy Hour and Triumph America. Brothers Pyrotechnics won some approval for Major Mojo.

Vickie Antepenko saw plenty to put on the shopping list for American Tradition Fireworks, the Oconto County store she runs with her husband, John.

"Red Light, Green Light - I liked that," she said of one of the Brothers rockets. "That was a real hell-raiser."

So there's a good chance it will hit the shelves at American Traditions, where business, as elsewhere, is good and customers can't seem to get enough. Some people spend thousands at the store, John Antepenko said, and the average purchase has risen in the last few years to probably $300 to $400.

"They're coming there to spend big money nowadays," he said.

Journal Sentinel, 8th Sept,2006

Guangdong Shuts Down All Fireworks Businesses

   GUANGZHOU, June 2 (Xinhua) -- South China's Guangdong Province has shut down all of its 130 fireworks businesses amid safety concerns and to satisfy new government regulations.

   The province destroyed 1.65 million yuan (206,250 U.S. dollars)of fireworks materials and semi-manufactured products during the shutdown. It also purchased 46 million yuan (5.75 million U.S. dollars) of finished fireworks products.

   Of the businesses, 12 closed themselves down of their own accord, 23 moved to other provinces, 12 others turned to other trades and the rest are planning to shift for making other products, sources with the Guangdong Provincial Administration for Work Safety said.

   Fireworks industry is prone to fatal accidents and such businesses in Guangdong usually operate in cramped conditions with backward technology, the sources said, adding that the industrial output value of fireworks businesses only accounts for a small proportion of the province's GDP.

   The shutdown was also in line with a regulation on the production, transport and sale of fireworks and firecrackers issued earlier this year by the State Council, or China's cabinet.

   Currently, China has about 7,000 fireworks production businesses and 140,000 sales businesses with 1.5 million employed.

   However, many of the fireworks factories are still primitive with poor production conditions.

   Statistics released by the State Administration for Work Safety show that from 1985 to November 2005, there were 8,532 fireworks accidents, which left 9,349 people dead.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 2nd June,2006

Seven Injured in Fireworks Container Blast in S. China

   CHANGSHA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were slightly injuredas several shipping containers full of fireworks exploded on Wednesday at a port in central-south China's Hunan Province.

   A number of containers went off at 1:45 p.m. at the Xia'ninggang harbor in the northern part of Changsha, capital of Hunan.

   The explosion injured seven people and rattled windows hundredsof meters away.

   The port, known as a river transportation hub in the province, is building up its modern logistic service capacity in addition tothe navigation and shipping container businesses.

   An investigation into the cause of the blast is underway.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 17th May,2006

City Set to Host Annual Fireworks

   Plymouth is to continue to host the annual British Fireworks Championships for the next five years.

   More than 200,000 people regularly watch the firework displays by companies from around the UK.

   The city council's cabinet member for Creative Plymouth, Peter Smith, said the deal would boost tourism.

   He said: "It's brilliant for the economy and the city. It just pulls people in and we know people book their holidays around the fireworks."

   The eight British Fireworks Championships will take place on the Plymouth foreshore in August.

   Competitors all have 10 minutes to put on their display, setting off an estimated 10 tonnes of explosives.

BBC News, 1st April,2006

China Suffers Fewer Fires During Spring Festival

   BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhuanet) -- China saw a decline in the number of major fire accidents during the traditional Spring Festival, or Chinese lunal new year holiday, national police authorities said on Thursday.

   Chinese police at all levels have taken a series of measures to prevent fires, Li Shixiong, deputy director of the fire-fighting department under the Ministry of Public Security, said at a press conference.

   During the Spring Festival, police across the country handled 6,057 cases caused by fireworks. The number of fire accidents, death and direct property loss saw a decline of 27.3 percent, 40 percent and 83.3 percent from 2004.

   From Dec. 2005 to Feb. 2006, the number of major fire accidents, death and direct property loss decreased by 15.3 percent, 21.4 percent and 85.1 percent over the same period of the previous year,during which the Ministry of Public Security carried out a campaign to prevent major traffic accidents, fires and explosion to guard public security.

   Li said the ministry has also made progress in reducing the number of major fire hazards listed by the government from 3,920 to 188. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 2nd March,2006

Fireworks Shop Fire Leaves 20 Dead in Venezuela

   CARACAS, Dec. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The death toll of a fireworks shop fire has risen to 20 after more bodies were retrieved in downtown San Felix, southeast Venezuela, fire officials said Tuesday.

   The blaze, which broke out on Monday, also left five injured and some missing in the Marquez pyrotechnics shop, which stored large amounts of explosives and powder.

   The fire consumed the shop, five neighboring stores, including a toy store and a pharmacy, and five vehicles parked nearby.

   A spark falling into a fireworks case produced the fire on Monday afternoon that destroyed the shop, said the firemen. The shop was the only one authorized to sell fireworks during the Christmas season.

   By Monday evening, rescuers had retrieved 12 scorched bodies, including those of two children. Local authorities said there are still 28 people missing. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 28th December,2005

Beijing Destroys 78m Pieces of Shoddy Firecrackers

   BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Beijing police Thursday destroyed more than 78 million pieces of shoddy, sub-quality firecrackers confiscated in the past three months since the municipal government lifted its 12-year ban on fireworks on September.

   "Though we destroyed inferior quality firecrackers during the past two years, but even their total quantities could not match this year's," said Li Wei, director of Beijing firework matters office.

   At an open ground in outskirt an Daxing district in southern Beijing, the fireworks launchers were lined up like trench mortars. At three p.m., some 78.64 million pieces of inferior firecrackers were detonated with a resultant mushroom cloud and thunderous blasting in the air.

   The sales value of such shoddy firecrackers amounts to 2.61 million yuan (about 326,000 US dollars), and gasoline was spilled on them to speed burning and cracking and, otherwise, the setting off of these firecrackers could last two days, according to the police.

   Beijing instituted the fireworks ban in 1993 in a bid to reduce the fireworks-related fatalities that often accompanied the traditional spring festival, or the Chinese lunar New Year.

   But a survey conducted among 60,000 Beijing residents earlier this year showed that more than two thirds of respondents were opposed to the ban.

   So the city government issued a new rule re-allowing the setting of firecrackers within the city's fifth ring road during the New Year holiday.

   The Lunar New Year usually falls on late January or February, when the people in China love to spend their most joyous festival with the pitter-patter cracks.

   However, since early Oct., 37 people died in 10 serious accidents caused by firework blasts since Oct., according to the police source. Nine of these ten tragedies were caused by the illegal production of fireworks, with a toll of 34 lives.

   In a sample check of fireworks and firecrackers of 132 producers on Dec. 14, the State Quality and Quarantine Administration found that only 57.2 percent of the products met the quality standards set by industrial authority. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 23rd December,2005

Garage Explosion Kills Three in Moscow

   MOSCOW, Dec. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- An explosion caused by fireworks in a garage killed three people and injured another two in southern Moscow on Tuesday, the city's fire service and a prosecutor said.

   The Itar-Tass news agency quoted the fire service as saying the blast was reported at 13:40 (0940 GMT) and the blaze was put out but part of the building collapsed.

   Three people were killed and two others injured, a spokesperson said.

   Moscow City Prosecutor Anatoly Zuyev told reporters the garage housed a workshop illegally manufacturing fireworks, which exploded and caused the blaze.

   "They turned one of the garage sections into a factory," Zuyev said, adding investigators have found the owner of that workshop, who was injured and taken to a hospital, and will question him.

   Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into possible breach of fire safety regulations. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 20th December,2005

Chongqing Bans Sales of Fireworks to Juveniles

   CHONGQING, Dec. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Fireworks and firecrackers vendors have been banned from selling their products to juveniles under the age of 14 in southwest China's Chongqing municipality, according to a newly issued local regulation.

   Violators will be fined 50 to 100 yuan (6.25 to 12.5 U.S. dollars), the regulation said.

   "It's not a discriminatory policy, it's to protect juveniles," a local legislator who declined to give his name told Xinhua.

   The legislator reminded citizens not to store fireworks and firecrackers of more than 10 kg, which are also in breach of the new regulation.

   The new regulation came after the city's lifting of the ban from setting off fireworks and firecrackers in the period of Chinese Lunar New Year.

   Many citizens welcomed the move but meanwhile worried that their children might be injured by setting off firecrackers without the presence of parents.

   This year, 177 Chinese cities, including Chongqing and Beijing,out of the country's total of 660, have decided to lift the ban that has been practiced for years.

   The new move will allow residents to set off fire-crackers in designated areas during the Lunar New Year festival.

   In November alone, Chongqing reported three cases of fireworks explosions with 14 casualties.

   Nationwide, China saw 187 deaths in 87 fireworks explosion accidents in the first 11 months, the State Administration of Production Safety reported Wednesday.

   The period between Oct.1 and Nov. 30 saw relatively frequent fireworks accidents, the administration said, adding that 10 accidents took place in the two months, killing a total of 37 persons.

   The latest explosion happened on Nov. 27 in Wuqiang County, north China's Hebei Province, killing 4 people and wounding 3 others at an illegal fireworks factory.

   The administration blamed the frequency of fireworks explosionson the rampant and illegal production of fireworks.

   Nine out of the 10 accidents since October resulted from illegal manufacturing, it said.

   At present, China has more than 6,604 fireworks and firecrackers manufacturers and 150,000 distributors, but only 1,815 producers have obtained safety permits. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 17th December,2005

187 Deaths Reported in Fireworks Explosions Jan-Nov

   BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- China reported 187 deaths involved in 87 fireworks explosion accidents nationwide in the first 11 months, according to the State Administration of Production Safety.

   Both deaths and accidents dropped compared with the same period last year, the administration source said at a press conference Wednesday.

   The period between Oct.1 and Nov. 30 saw relatively frequent occurrences of fireworks accidents, the administration said, adding that 10 accidents took place in the two months, killing a total of 37 persons.

   The latest explosion happened on Nov. 27 in Wuqiang County, north China's Hebei Province, which killed 4 people and wounded 3 others at an illegal fireworks factory.

   The administration blamed the frequencies of fireworks explosions on the rampant and illegal production of fireworks.

   Nine out of the 10 accidents since October resulted from illegal manufacturing, it said. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 14th December,2005

Beijing People Eager to Sell Firecrackers

   BEIJING, Nov. 29 -- More than 10,000 people have applied for firecracker sales permits in 3,000 sales locations in Beijing, as the Chinese capital prepares to allow people to set off fireworks to celebrate the Lunar New Year for the first time in 12 years, Beijing Time reported yesterday.

   Eighteen districts and counties have finalized the registration of firecracker sales permits.

   "Authorities will carry out seven steps to approve sales licenses for applicants," said an official of the firecracker authority.

   Another official with the firecracker authority was quoted by the newspaper as saying those who get sales permits must buy firecrackers from appointed places, or their goods will be confiscated and they will be fined between 10,000 yuan (US$1237) and 100,000 yuan.

   Beijing lifted the ban on crackers in September.

   The new regulation, the Beijing Municipal Regulations on Firecrackers Safety Management, will be effective from Thursday.

   It allows Beijing people to burst firecrackers within the Fifth Ring Road, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the Lunar New Year during certain hours.

   During other festivals, firecrackers are only allowed in restricted areas.

   The Beijing Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, the capital's only fireworks distributor, have ordered 400,000 boxes of 650 varieties of firecrackers for the coming Spring Festival.

   Orders this year are three times what they were before 1993, when the fireworks ban was introduced due to security and environmental concerns. Firecrackers are traditionally believed to chase away demons, especially at Spring Festival. But, some believe relaxing the firework ban is a dangerous move. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 29th November,2005

Fireworks Explosion Leaves 4 Dead in Hebei

   SHIJIAZHUANG, Nov.28 (Xinhuanet) -- Four people were killed and three more were wounded in an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory in Wuqiang County, north China's Hebei Province.

   Information from the department of publicity with Wuqiang County said the explosion took place Sunday afternoon at the home of Zhou Yongshi, a resident with Cuiweiyuan Village of Jieguan Township, killing both Zhou Yongshi and his elder son on the spot.

   The wounded are Zhou's first daughter-in-law, the mother of thefirst daughter-in-law, his eight-month-old granddaughter, his second son, and one of his neighbors. Zhou's first daughter-in-law, the mother of the first daughter-in-law died later in hospital.

   The homes of Zhou's second son and one of his neighbors in the south were destroyed in the explosion, witnesses said.

   The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 28th November,2005

Fireworks Business Booming

   BEJING, Nov. 24 -- As Beijing lifts its 12-year ban on fireworks, more than 6,000 traders have registered to become legally licensed firework sellers.

   A new rule, allowing Beijingers to let off fireworks within the city's Fifth Ring Road during Spring Festival (China's Lunar New Year), is opening up a niche for the trade.

   However, only franchised vendors, holding work safety certificates as well as firework sales permits, are allowed to sell the explosive goods.

   The Beijing Municipal Regulations on Firecracker Safety Management, adopted on September 9 by the local legislature to replace the Regulations Banning Firecrackers, will come into force on December 1.

   The capital will set up 3,015 firework shops to cater for next year Spring Festival which falls on January 26, the Beijing News daily reported yesterday.

   The Beijing Supply and Marketing Co-operatives, the capital's only fireworks distributor, have ordered 400,000 boxes of 650 kinds of fireworks and firecrackers for the coming Spring Festival, the Beijing-based The First daily said yesterday.

   Orders this year are three times what they were before 1993, when the fireworks ban was introduced due to security and environmental concerns.

   The fireworks, on order from Hebei, Henan, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, are worth a total 100 million yuan (US$12 million).

   Firecrackers are traditionally believed to chase away demons, especially at Spring Festival.

   But, some believe relaxing the firework ban is a dangerous move.

   Beijing resident Wei Jingmin told Xinhua: "Firecrackers are too noisy and dangerous." And he may have a point: During the first five days of the 2004 Spring Festival, government statistics show, 61 per cent of fires in Beijing were caused by fireworks.

   The new rule prohibits people from letting off fireworks in crowds, motor vehicles or buildings.

   Fireworks are also outlawed in areas adjacent to government buildings, sites of historical interest, kindergartens, homes for the old, railway stations and military facilities.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 24th November,2005

Govt to Issue State-level Regulations on Fireworks

    CHANGSHA, Oct. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- China will issue national fireworks regulations before the year-end to give the country's high-risk industry further safety guarantee, authorities said Wednesday.

    The regulations will give detailed stipulations on production, transportation, storage, distribution and usage of fireworks. Those who violate the rules will take responsibilities and be punished strictly.

    "The regulations will bring the fireworks industry under discipline and provide legal basis for relevant regulatory bodies to oversee the industry," said Li Wanchun, deputy director of the chemical safety department under the State Administration of Work Safety, at a seminar on fireworks safety in Liuyang, one of China's major fireworks production bases in central China's Hunan Province.

    Li said the draft of the regulations had already been completed and is now soliciting opinions from related government departments. It is likely to come out before the end of this year.

    Beijing has lifted a 12-year ban on fireworks last month, allowing residents to set off fire-crackers in designated areas during the Lunar New Year festival.

    Experts said Beijing's move may set a model for other cities and the demand for fireworks is expected to grow sharply, which poses a potential challenge for safety administration.

    Last month, the safety committee of the State Council carried out safety checks in major fireworks production provinces and regions including Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Anhui.

    At present, China has more than 6,604 fireworks and firecrackers manufacturers and 150,000 distributors, but only 1,815 producers have obtained safety permits.

    China has issued local fireworks regulations of all levels but yet to have a national one.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 20th October,2005

Chain Blasts in Fireworks Village Kill 2

    BEIJING, Oct. 12 -- Mishandling of explosives was blamed for a chain of blasts in which two people died on Monday in a village known for making fireworks in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

    "The chain blast was caused by a family mishandling the explosive material," Yun Zhongyi, a member of the local Communist Party's Standing Committee, was quoted as saying by the Inner Mongolia Morning News.

    The accident happened around 7:30 am on Monday in Chaohao village in Hohhot, the region's capital, the newspaper reported.

    "Because the spot has not been cleared up, no exact number of casualties is available," Yun said. "It is estimated that two residents died during the chain explosion. Five other residents were receiving the treatment in the hospital."

    Smoke and the smell of gunpowder hovered over the village yesterday, the newspaper said.

    Among the approximately 1,000 households in the village, at least four-fifths of the families make a living by producing fireworks. Every house is like an ammunition depot on a small scale. Once the explosive material in one house was ignited, it easily led to a chain reaction, the paper said.

    A villager with the surname Zhao told the local newspaper that when the accident occurred, he was farming his land and heard two big noises, like thunder. With his years of experience, he knew that a serious accident had taken place.

    Zhao also said that it was lucky his family did not participate in firecracker making. His only loss was pieces of broken window glass.

    However, most families in the village were not as lucky. More than half of the houses were destroyed in the explosions. Most windows were shattered, the newspaper said.

    Villagers dared not stay at home. They had to stay far from their houses, ready to escape from the next explosion at any time. Some villagers even slept in the fields outside the village, the newspaper said.

    A 60-year-old woman told the newspaper that due to years of drought, her family could not make a living by farming, so they turned to making fireworks. "Now even our house has been blown up. How can we spend the rest of our lives?" she cried.

    After the accident, the rescue team and fire brigade rushed to the spot. The five villagers sent to hospital were reported to be in a stable condition.

    A firefighter said that once they arrived, they never stopped working. His firefighting team alone used 40 tons of water. But because of the continual blasts, they could not get near to the houses on fire.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 12th October,2005

Firework Explosions Rock Mexican Market

    MEXICO CITY, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- A series of explosions rattled a fireworks market on Thursday in the Mexican city of Tultepec, leaving over 100 people injured.

    The fireworks blew up in a market stall, northeast of Mexico City, sparking a chain of explosions in dozens of nearby stalls, according to local television reports. Thick smoke billowed out and formed a huge column which could be seen from several kilometers away.

    The accident occurred hours before Mexico's Thursday night Independence Day celebrations. Tultepec is one of the main centers of fireworks production in Mexico.

    Also on Thursday, a chemical-waste treatment plant exploded after catching fire in Mexico's eastern state of Veracruz. Three hundred families were evacuated, said Veracruz Civil Protection Undersecretary Ranulfo Marquez Hernandez.

    The plant belonged to the firm Ecoltec, which is located in central Veracruz and incinerates toxic waste.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 15th September,2005

New Rules to Lift Ban on Fireworks in Beijing

    BEIJING, Sept. 8 -- Even if Beijing legislators decide tomorrow to lift a 12-year ban on lighting firecrackers, they might still forbid setting them off at midnight during Spring Festival.

    "It is permitted to set off fireworks within the Fifth Ring Road from New Year's Eve to 11 pm on the first day of the first lunar month and 7 am to 11 pm on the following 14 days until the 15th day (Lantern Festival)," the revision to the draft of the Beijing municipal firecracker safety management rule reads.

    The draft was discussed by the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress yesterday for the second time and will be voted on tomorrow.

    In the previous version of the draft, no restrictions had been listed in setting off firecrackers during Spring Festival.

    The lighting of fireworks in urban Beijing has been forbidden since 1993, even during Lunar New Year, when firecrackers are traditionally believed to be a symbol of happiness.

    However, the ban has been ignored in recent years, especially during Spring Festival this year, when the sound of firecrackers was heard nearly everywhere.

    "The restriction on the time period for setting off firecrackers during Spring Festival is to reduce the negative influence of the noise to residents," Wang Jiayan, deputy director of the Commission of Legislative Affairs under the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, said yesterday.

    The change was made after a public hearing last month, when nine speakers appealed for a restriction on the time period for lighting firecrackers.

    However, Liu Li, a congressional delegate, said yesterday that she was afraid that to restrict the time period would make it difficult for authorities to enforce the law.

    She also advised forbidding firecrackers in the old urban areas of the capital, most of which are within the Second Ring Road.

    "There is a huge population and a lot of historical relics, many of which are made of wood," Liu explained.

    The current draft forbids lighting firecrackers anytime at seven types of places such as cultural relics, airports, filling stations and forests.

    Chen Xingbo, a member of the standing committee, urged the municipal government to issue relevant rules ahead of the effective dates of the legislation regarding, for example, types of permitted firecrackers.

    It is expected that the removal of the ban will take effect ahead of Spring Festival next year.

    Also on the first day of the standing committee session yesterday, legislators discussed a draft of a municipal regulation concerning the franchise operation of the construction of an infrastructural facility.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 8th September,2005

Disney in Fireworks Row

   Company claims environmentally friendly pyrotechnics are impossible on Lantau despite complaints

   Hong Kong Disneyland's fireworks trials were said to be flawed by the Advisory Council on the Environment. TSANG HING WAI

    Hong Kong Disneyland is facing pressure to consider a quieter, more environmentally friendly technology that can significantly reduce pollution from its nightly fireworks displays when the park opens next month.

    Air-launch technology, which uses compressed air to launch the pyrotechnics as an alternative to gunpowder, in combination with low-gunpowder fireworks, reduces noise and air pollution levels caused by fireworks by up to 60 percent and is currently used by California's Disneyland under an agreement with state pollution-control authorities.

    Despite complaints from residents, Hong Kong Disneyland has so far rejected the new fireworks technology, which made its debut earlier this year, saying it is technically impossible and "unnecessary" for the SAR.

    However, in an Orlando Business Journal article published last year entitled "Smoke-free pyrotechnics, the future of theme park fireworks" - the spokeswoman for Walt Disney Imagineering, Marilyn Waters, was quoted as saying "it's possible the next place to install the new [air-launch] system will be the new Disney theme park in Hong Kong."

    When contacted by The Standard, Waters was somewhat reticent.

    "We have consistently said that the air-launch system will be implemented in other Disney theme parks where it makes sense to do so," she said.

    California Disney's chief scientist Ben Schwegler, who was involved in developing the air-launch system, declined to comment on whether it can be deployed in Hong Kong.

    Waters said it was "too complicated to explain" why the system could not be used in Hong Kong.

    California Disney began using environmentally friendly fireworks in addition to the air-launch system in June.

    According to Sam Atwood, media manager for the agency responsible for pollution control in Southern California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, air-launch technology combined with low-gunpowder fireworks reduced emissions by 50 to 60 percent.

    He told The Standard that California's Disneyland Resort signed an agreement with the agency last year to embark on a gunpowder elimination strategy for its displays. Under the agreement, Disney was to take three steps: deploy air-launch technology; use a "low-smoke substitute" for gunpowder as an interim measure; and eventually switch to an ultra low gunpowder substitute.

    The agreement came after Los Angeles residents complained for years about the nightly fireworks, demanding that Disney should stop the shows when pollution is high.

    "The complaints were for smoke and fallout of particles," said Atwood.

    After Hong Kong Disneyland's May fireworks trials, the Islands District Council received 31 complaints.

    Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Esther Wong said she is not aware of the California agreement but added that Hong Kong and California Disney have been working closely together on fireworks technology.

    She said deploying air-launch technology is technically impossible for Hong Kong because the system is not suitable for low-level fireworks displays.

    However, a local pyrotechnician told The Standard that the advantage of using the air-launch system is that it controls the height of explosions and is thus suitable for low-level firework shows.

    "Air-launch technology gives you more flexibility than gunpowder," the pyrotechnician said.

    Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, said, "air launch may be suitable for both low-level and high-level fireworks."

    Both Heckman and Australian Pyrotechnics Association chairman Mike Moir said air-launch is costly and requires expensive and bulky equipment that is not practical for a one-off fireworks show.

    But they said it should be suitable on a fixed site such as Hong Kong Disneyland.

    California Disney's Web site praises the air launch technology because it "significantly reduces ground-level smoke and noise while continuing to provide a highly entertaining show."

    But Hong Kong Disneyland's Wong said: "The air launch system would not have any effects on noise levels at [nearby] Discovery Bay and Peng Chau [Island], as the [fireworks display] is inside the theme park."

    Moir pointed out, however, that compressed-air technology reduces smoke to almost nothing at the point of launch, and also reduces noise levels by approximately 60 per cent.

    "Reducing smoke and noise at ground levels will have a dramatic effect on improving pollution," he said.

    "Using common sense, the reduction of smoke and noise, even at the ground level, should help reduce air and noise pollution. But we still have to observe the real situation," said Jimmy Yu, a chemistry professor in the Chinese University.

    Choy So-yuk, environmental affairs panel chairwoman in the Legislative Council, demanded Disney use the new environmentally friendly fireworks technology.

    She said that the government, which holds a majority stake in Hong Kong Disneyland, should press Disney to explain why it is not using the new technology.

    "Since I know there is a new technology which can be applied to Hong Kong, I will ask the Legislative Council to follow up," said Choy.

    The Environment Protection Department said last week it ordered Disney to undertake an additional monitoring program this month, following criticism of its fireworks trials. Disney held trial firework displays May 6 and 7 at the park's Penny's Bay location on Lantau, during which air quality was monitored at five locations.

    The locations included three areas within the theme park and two "off- site" areas in neighboring Peng Chau and Discovery Bay, both 2.7 kilometers from the fireworks.

    Although the Disney report insisted the firework trial result showed that it had satisfied "all detection limits on all parameters," the Advisory Council on the Environment criticized it July 11, saying the fireworks trials were flawed as the data was based on only two days, when the "winds were mild," and also that one of the instruments used to test suspended air particles failed on one trial day. Noise pollution data was also reportedly compromised by "extraneous noise."

The Standard, 1st August,2005

Beijing to Hold Hearing on Lifting Firecracker Ban

    BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhuanet)-- Legislators of Beijing will hold a public hearing in late August on whether or not the Chinese capital should remove the 12-year ban on firing crackers, an official with the Beijing Municipal People's Congress General Office said here Thursday.

    The hearing will focus on two items in the draft regulation on safety of Fireworks and Firecrackers submitted by some municipal people's congress deputies on July 19.

    One is whether the decision of banning firecrackers within thefifth ring road is reasonable and feasible? The other one is whether the decision to allow citizens living in the banned areas to play firecrackers during the Chinese Lunar New Year and other grand festivals is reasonable and feasible?

    From Thursday on, all Beijing citizens, migrant workers and representatives of non-local companies can apply for attending thehearing through mail on Internet.

    The new draft regulation on firecrackers was examined at the 21st meeting of the Standing Committee of the 12th Beijing Municipal People's Congress held last week to make it more feasible.

    For centuries, the act of setting off firecrackers is a symbol of traditional Chinese festivals, especially the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year.

    However,it was banned in 1993 in Beijing, for it was consideredbeing environmental unfriendly and a cause of fires and other accidents.

    In the past 12 years, the ban on firecrackers has been severelyquestioned by many Beijing citizens, who held that it was unacceptable to change folk tradition which was handed down from their forefathers. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 28th July,2005

HFD Chief Calls On Lawmakers For Fireworks Ban

    Honolulu's fire chief Thursday proposed banning consumer fireworks, including novelty items like sparklers, on July 4th because of a rash of brush fires.

    For the last five years, the Honolulu Fire Department has unsuccessfully asked state lawmakers for an all out fireworks ban on both New Years and July 4th. Now the chief is targeting July 4th because it falls within the peak of the brush fire season.

    Oahu has had 576 brush fires so far this year. That's more brush fires than during all of 2004. Of this year's fires, 159 happened on July 3, 4 and 5. HFD blames 80 percent of the fires on fireworks.

    "It's been a real busy season. And the brush fires have been much bigger this year than in the past. And as we've been saying, it's been straining our resources. It's been taxing our personnel," HFD Chief Attilio Leonardi said.

    He is asking the state Legislature to ban the sale of all consumer fireworks for July 4th, including novelty items that can be purchased without a permit.

    "The last thing we need is fireworks with all the brush fires we have. So, before it becomes a major issue we want to get rid of fireworks for the Fourth of July," Leonardi said.

    He's willing to drop his request for a fireworks ban over New Years, which few politicians have embraced.

"We all celebrate the birth of a nation, but do we need to celebrate the birth of more fires and injuries?" Leonardi said.

    He said that HFD exceeded its overtime budget by about 25 percent in the fiscal year that ended July 1, partly because of extra time fighting so many brush fires.

    The fires cost more money for fuel, food and drinks for firefighters. The meals cost about $6 a head for firefighters that need to eat while fighting blazes that can last for a day or longer.

    The fires are also taking their toll on some fire equipment. A fire engine from the Nanakuli station was damaged in a fire about a month ago in Makaha. It is going to cost at least $10,000 to fix.

, 15th July,2005

France Celebrates Bastille Day

    Fireworks explode over the the river Seine as part of Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, capital of France, July 13, 2005. France celebrates July 14 citizens' victory at the outset of the French Revolution marked by the storming of the Paris Bastille in 1789. (Xinhua Photo)

http://www.chinaview.cn, 14th July,2005

70% of Beijing Residents Want Fireworks

    BEIJING, July 4 -- Beijing has banned the use of fireworks within city limits for many years but the citizens are increasingly yearning for the return of the old days. A paper survey of Beijing residents reveals that 69.64% of those sampled are in favor of a certain degree of liberalization of the rule banning fireworks.

    The Beijing Municipal Regulations on Safety of Fireworks (Draft) will undergo initial review during the 21st Session of the Standing Committee of Beijing's 12th People's Congress to be unveiled on July 19th. Citizens have raised their expectations that the strict prohibition on fireworks will be liberalized.

    At present, the Standing Committee of Beijing's People's Congress is widely sampling the citizens' reactions to the Draft, with July 8th as the deadline for submission. Beijing residents can express their views on the website of the Standing Committee as well as by mail.

    Earlier, the Committee for Internal and Judicial Affairs of Beijing's People's Congress used numerous ways to collect opinion from a wide spectrum of the public, including 218 discussion forums in which over 5252 people took part. The Committee also distributed 60,000 survey sheets, with 5,000 sheets in each of the eight city-center districts and 2,000 sheets in each of the ten suburban districts and 57,431 survey sheets were filled out and returned. The survey shows that 69.64% of citizens approve of a certain degree of liberalization of the law forbidding fireworks.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 4th July,2005

Fireworks Light Up Trafalgar Celebrations

Celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar drew to a close with a spectacular fireworks display.The entire fleet was then illuminated along the Solent to commemorate Britain's greatest sea victory.Ships sailed to Britain from all over the world to join the event, which was watched by tens of thousands of people.     Trafalgar was the battle in 1805 in which Admiral Lord Nelson defeated the French and Spanish navies.

    The victory cost Nelson his life - but it made him a legend and established Britain as the supreme naval power of the day.

    As part of the celebrations the Queen conducted a review of 167 ships from the Royal Navy and 35 other nations.

    The largest peacetime international review in history was followed by a fly-past featuring a Nimrod, Harrier jets and helicopters and a son et lumiere battle re-enactment.

    HMS Endurance escorted the Queen, in her role as Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom past the fleet which included warships and tall ships and representatives from all sectors of the maritime industry.

    In a written message, the Queen said their presence was a measure of the high esteem in which Nelson continued to be held and of a special bond that existed between all mariners.

    Countries from as far afield as Japan and the US lined up for the Queen's inspection with Germany, Italy, Belgium, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Morocco, and Estonia among other countries represented.

    The battleships included the flagship of the French fleet, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, and the flagship of the Spanish fleet, Principe de Asturias.

    The Prince of Wales, dressed in the uniform of a Vice-Admiral, watched the fleet review on board the survey ship HMS Scott with the Duchess of Cornwall.

    Images of the spectacular bicentenary event were transmitted across the globe with up to 1,300 media staff accredited, including 300 foreign media.

    The mock sea battle involved 17 tall ships from five nations, with blazing broadsides and gun smoke.

    Organisers decided against a precise re-enactment of Trafalgar to avoid opening wounds with France and Spain and instead opted for a red navy against a blue navy imitation Napoleonic sea battle.

    Craig Nelson, a Royal Marine Commando, and the great-great-great-great-great-great nephew of Nelson, described the decision as "ludicrous".

    He said: "It's a crying shame that we have got this political correctness. Everyone appreciates who won the battle andI know the French are all too happy to celebrate their battles."

    First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West rejected criticisms of the event, insisting that Nelson would have approved of its contents.

, 29th June,2005

Industry Association Urges End to Anti-fireworks Campaigns to Help Make July 4th Holiday Safest Ever

    Bethesda, Maryland, June 16, 2005—The leading trade association of the fireworks industry today urged anti-fireworks groups to end their “misleading” campaigns to ban consumer or backyard fireworks and instead join the industry and federal government in promoting safety.

    Every year, a few weeks prior to the celebration of Independence Day, anti-fireworks groups including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) wage a campaign against consumer fireworks use, alleging that fireworks are too risky for amateurs. Such campaigns mislead the public to think that consumer fireworks are unsafe, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA). These campaigns also ignore the fact that more states than ever before allow the sale and use of consumer fireworks.

    Consumer fireworks, such as cones, fountains and sparklers, are available for sale and use by private citizens in 45 states plus the District of Columbia. Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Vermont, Georgia and Arizona are the most recent states to modify their fireworks laws to allow consumer fireworks. "Today's consumer fireworks are strictly regulated, quite safe when used properly, and injuries have declined by almost 75% during the past decade," said Julie L. Heckman, APA’s executive director.

    Heckman says that the APA would like to see the NFPA and others that frown upon fireworks use, to tone down the anti-fireworks campaign and turn up the safety message. The NFPA is a powerful voice when it comes to public safety education. They have done a commendable job educating the public on fire safety and burn prevention with their other programs like Sparky the Fire Dog and Risk Watch. The APA believes that if the NFPA joined forces along with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Council on Fireworks Safety, and fire departments across the country in promoting safety tips for responsible consumer fireworks use, that message would have a significant impact in helping to further reduce the misuse of fireworks.

    "It's time for the NFPA to give up their 1910 campaign calling for a prohibition on consumer fireworks and recognize that 45 states permit consumer fireworks to be sold and used by the public. By promoting responsible fireworks use, we can make 2005 the safest year yet for the millions of Americans that choose to use legal consumer fireworks," says Heckman.

About the American Pyrotechnics Association
    The APA is the leading trade association of the fireworks industry. The APA supports and promotes safety standards for all aspects of fireworks. The APA has a diverse membership including regulated and licensed manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, importers and suppliers of fireworks, and professional display firms. Additional information about the fireworks industry, facts & figures, and state laws, can be found on APA’s web site at www.americanpyro.com

American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) Press Release, 16th June,2005

Japan Fireworks Show is Getting Started

    Begining from June of every year, there will be a series of fireworks shows in Japan until September. More than 180 Hanabi Taikai (Fireworks Show) will be held throughout the country. They all have different special distinguishing characteristics. Let me introduce some of them to you!

Kansai
	Atami Hanabi Taikai 1000 meters fireworks waterfall Location: Atami, Shizuoka Date: 25/7, 28/7, 31/7, 5/8, 7/8, 23/8, 24/8, 28/8 Time: 8:20pm - 8:55pm No. of fireworks: 5,000 shots

Kanto
	Yodo Hanabi Taikai Cartoon Characters Location: Yodo, Osaka Date: 6/8 Time: 7:50pm - 8:40pm No. of fireworks: 20,000 shots
	PL Fireworks Arts 120 thousand of shots! Location: Tondabayashi, Osaka Date: 1/8 Time: 7:45pm - 8:50pm No. of fireworks: 120,000 shots

Beside of those traditional fireworks, they are also some new ideas in this years' shows. A series of vegetable and fruit shape fireworks will be added in most of the shows this year, for example the Sun Flowers, Aubergines and Carrots, which make the fireworks shows more colorful and exciting!

16th June,2005

6 Killed in Fireworks Explosion in Istanbul

    ANKARA, June 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Explosions at a fireworks warehouse in Turkey's largest city of Istanbul killed six people on Thursday, semi-official Anatolia News Agency reported here.

    A series of explosions occurred at a fireworks depot in Umraniyeon the outskirts of the Asian side of Istanbul at around 11:00 a.m.(0800 GMT), according to Anatolia.

    Firefighters have rushed to the scene to try to put out the fire triggered by the explosion.

    Bodies of six people were found, said the report, adding that the cause of the explosions was not immediately known. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 9th June,2005

Firework Ban Lifted After Public Hearings

    BEIJING, June 6 -- Beijing is set to lift its 12-year-old ban on fireworks for the traditional Spring Festival holidays, probably starting from next Chinese Lunar New Year in January 2006.

    Zhou Jidong, director of the Legislative Affairs Office of the Beijing municipal government, told a press conference last Thursday that his office has completed the draft regulations on firework safety supervision.

    Under the draft regulations, setting off fireworks will be allowed in the capital city's eight downtown districts from the eve of the Lunar New Year to the Lantern Festival 15 days later.

    It is hoped that the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress will approve the draft ahead of next year's Spring Festival.

    Zhou stressed that the government's decision to abandon the firework ban is its way of respecting the people's will.

    When the draft regulations were posted on the municipal government's website for suggestions, local residents gave a total of 969 pieces of advice, with 70 per cent in favour of lifting the ban.

    Related surveys suggest local people who want to light fireworks during Spring Festival range from 50.4 per cent to 86.3 per cent.

    In fact, the voice of opposition and criticism has never ceased since the municipal government introduced the ban in 1993, citing pollution, noise, fire worries and personal injuries caused by letting off fireworks.

    Opponents accused the government of introducing the ban solely for the sake of facilitating its management role while disregarding the will of the people.

    Worse, they say, the ban threatened to break down the age-old traditions of celebrating Spring Festival among Chinese people.

    Partly due to this ceaseless objection, about 106 out of a total 282 Chinese cities that had followed Beijing's lead in banning fireworks have already dropped the ban.

    As the first one to introduce the firework ban and a late one to give it up, Beijing should have more to ponder.

    One point to note is that the municipal government also claimed that it was acting in the interests of the people when it imposed the ban on fireworks 12 years ago.

    So why have policy-makers made two contrary decisions in line with the same principle?

    Obviously, the government's out-of-date management was to blame for its rough decision-making process when introducing the ban.

    Authorities concerned used to believe that administrative power was omnipotent and thus tended to overemphasize it while neglecting civic rights.

    That tells us why the firework ban was believed to have hurt the freedom of most residents who wanted to enjoy the festival by setting off fireworks despite the policy-makers' good intentions in trying to ensure public security in the city.

    Such a management practice has met with more and more challenges since the emergence of diverse interest groups, and increased people's awareness over individual rights in a modern society.

    In response, the government has actually learnt to play its social management role and balance different interests in a wise and better way.

    For instance, the surveys about the firework ban in Beijing also showed a large proportion of respondents strongly oppose lifting the ban, saying it is dangerous for a city with a population of nearly 17 million.

    Fortunately, the government did not move to wield its power this time. Instead, it is encouraging local communities to exercise their rights and find a way out to ensure the legitimate interests of those who oppose the ban be also safeguarded.

    Meanwhile, the regulations also require related government departments, such as the work safety administration, public security bureau and the administration for industry and commerce, to strengthen safety measures during the production, transport, sale and setting off of fireworks.

    So it is good for Beijing, along with other cities, to review and revise the firework ban. If such a move can greatly help the government improve its management methods, this is a bonus.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 6th June,2005

Deny Disney Pollution Limit to Hold Fireworks

   Disney is an invited guest in out city – given massive subsidies and free land – and the company is now demanding that it be allowed to push the pollution levels near its resort up to an API of 99 every day of the year just for its fireworks – and there is nothing the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) can do to stop this.

   This is shameful. Disney's response in the environmental impact report five years ago is that the levels of repirable suspended particles should be "within the air quality objectives", meaning that even though the air pollution level is already high, it demands the right to drive it even higher. Five years ago our air pollution problem was not as bad as it is today. Disney should at least confirm if it is using its new "fireworks launch teachnology" for the test conducted recently as it claims that this creates the least smoke.

   The numbers from the EPD on the fireworks test are not published yet, but we wonder if the department will be allowed to require the big mouse to go smoke-free when it comes to pyrotechnics. People in Los Angeles have been complaining for years that Disney should stop its fireworks when there is a smog alert, but Disney hides behind the standards of Los Angeles's South Coast air quality management district, which ate the weakest available in California – instead of holding itself to high California State standards. This district only last years shamed Disney into using the lowest-smoke fireworks, yet the company continues to drive up the pollution on smog-alert days.

   The question is whether the EPD will force a polluter to stop before it starts, or give it permission to drive the API up to 99 every day of the year. Disney's argument in Los Angeles is that millions of people come to see the fireworks. Now is the time to set visitor expectations so that in Hong Kong, Disney has the same responsibility to keep pollution levels below an API of 50 – so we can breathe long after it has left down. Disney must be required to do its part.

Letter by Jan Welbeck from Discovery Bay, South China Morning Post, 27 May, 2005

"Hong Kong Tatler" Magazine Interview with Centex Managing Director - Mr. Patrick Ma

    … Patrick Ma is the managing director of Centex Development Ltd, a fireworks supplier in Hong Kong. After working for a Taiwanese firecracker and fireworks company in the late 1980s, Ma decided to go it alone and established his own business dealing in party poppers. After initially enduring a year-long dry patch in which he received almost no response from the dozens of global buyers he faxed and phoned day-in and day-out, Ma finally struck an interested German company who wanted celebration crackers. He says, "At that time, Dongguan was the major fireworks town. China only gave out seven fireworks licences to permit export to Hong Kong, so it was hard a time. But after two years China opened up, so everybody could get a licence , including myself. I started selling mostly to the UK and Europe, where the biggest items were party poppers."

    With a school friend, Ma expanded the company substantially and by 1992 they were the biggest suppliers of firecracker and party poppers in the world. But like the brilliant, explosive products he dealt in, his success went from boom to bust seemingly in an instant. With a tinge of regret still in his voice, Ma says, "My head became hot, I was 28,29, and making good money. I stopped going into the office, and from then the company started going down." A bitter bust-up with his business partner followed, resulting in Ma taking over the disbanded company and, importantly, the overseas clients.

    Luckily for Ma, the fireworks industry was not affected by the Asian financial crisis of 1997, and with the help of his father and brother, Ma revived the business under the present moniker Centex Development. Older and wiser, he built Centex up gradually and today the company is one of only two that are allowed to maintain a fireworks warehouse in Guangdong, the other being Black Cat, a subsidiary of trading behemoths Li & Fung. Since June 2000 when a tragic accident in the province killed 29 people and injured 200, Guangdong authorities have banned firework manufacture completely. The industry has now migrated to Hunan and Guangxi, where tragic accidents involving fireworks are, sadly, still a regular occurrence.

    It is no surprise that Ma places paramount importance on the need for safety measures: "We test the fireworks very strictly before sending them out. Today, our company's major purpose is to buy the fireworks and test them and make sure they are safe. We export to the US and Europe. We make many people happy, we make them smile. But beyond that there is blood and accidents. People don't often remember that fireworks are made from explosives." Despite increasing demand for his product, the Centex boss controls his factory's output tightly; he says that is the only way to avoid the senseless loss of life and limbs that continue to plague the business. "If you are greedy, if you want money, you will end up with an accident. You have to be calm. Never overstock the explosives. If you have a big order, you can't speed up the production – even if the consumer is unhappy, he cautions, "If you make too many in a short time you will definitely have an accident."

    For all his sober concerns, Ma still holds an enthusiasm for fireworks, and becomes excited when he reveals that he has partnered up with an expert from Japan, where "the best fireworks in the world come from," to develop top quality shells that satisfy the industry's qualitative triumvirate: "colour, burst, and sound."……..

Hong Kong Tatler, January,2004

HK Greets Labor Day Holidays with Fireworks Show

   HONG KONG, May 1 (Xinhuanet) -- To celebrate the Labor Day holidays (Golden Week) and welcome holiday tourists from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong started as of Sunday the eight-day building-top fireworks and laser light shows along the Victoria harbor on the side of the Hong Kong Island.

    From May 1 to May 8, fireworks will be launched from 8:00 p.m. every evening and the show will last 13 minutes.

    Eva Cheng, Hong Kong commissioner for tourism, said at a press conference Sunday evening that the laser shows are of a new version. More than 2,000 laser installations and 45 laser lights are equipped on 20 buildings along a five-km road from Wanchai to the Central District.

    The laser light shows tell the story of how Hong Kong turned from a fishery village to an international city.

    According to Hong Kong Immigration Department, 460,000 Chinese mainland tourists are expected to visit Hong Kong during the seven-day Golden Week.

    Since the laser light shows was launched in January 2004, more than 3 million citizens and tourists have watched the shows, according to statistics from Hong Kong tourism departments. Enditem

http://www.chinaview.cn, 1st May,2005

Guangdong Officials Held More Accountable

    BEIJING, Mar. 4 -- Guangdong Province will remove principal officials after major accidents in a bid to cultivate a more accountable leadership.

    Principal offcials in a city where more than 50 people died in an accident and those in a county where more than 30 people died in an accident would have to resign, either voluntarily or by order, the Nanfang Daily reported Wednesday.

    An official's capability in ensuring industrial safety would be graded and used as an important basis for promotion, the report said. Officials who had violated laws would face criminal prosecution.

    Guangdong ranked first last year in both the number of accidents that occurred and the number of fatalities, the report said, quoting Chen Jianhui, director of the provincial industrial safety supervision bureau. Accidents in Guangdong Province claimed 2,660 more lives than those in Shandong Province, Chen said. Shandong ranked second in the number of fatalities.

    The provincial government is to take three steps in realizing the goal of industrial safety. A fundamentally perfect supervision system overseeing industrial safety will be established by 2007.

    By 2010, the accident death rate in the province is expected to be reduced to the national level and by 2020, it is expected to be reduced to an international level.

    Coal mines, construction companies and fireworks manufacturers will be required to pay deposits that will be used for rescue efforts and compensation for victims and their families, according to a notice issued by the procinvial industrial safety supervision bureau.

    Industries and companies prone to accidents have also been required to set up a special fund to ensure industrial safety.

http://www.chinaview.cn, 4th March,2005

Pyrotechnics Industry Strongly Objects to Excessive Emergency Regulation of Explosives Licensees by the Commonwealth

    Bethesda, Maryland, January 17, 2005 - The leading trade association of the fireworks industry today is urging Governor Rendell to put an immediate hold on the emergency amendments to Title 25, Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 211, relating to the handling, storage and use of explosives in the Commonwealth. The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) is deeply troubled by the unjustified burdens the revised regulations would impose on the regulated explosives industry, including many fireworks entertainment companies based in Pennsylvania.

    "While the APA is a strong proponent of safety and security, we cannot stand by and watch the new emergency amendments go forward without taking a strong stand against these arbitrary changes. The new amendments will significantly impact every explosives licensee in the Commonwealth and potentially drive these facilities to close their operations," said Julie L.Heckman, APA's Executive Director.

    The state Office of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) developed emergency provisions intended to enhance public safety and strengthen security measures statewide. Their collective efforts were unveiled to the regulated explosives industry on December 7, 2004, as final regulations without any opportunity for input by the affected Pennsylvania businesses. The regulations call for sweeping changes, far in excess of current federal standards, particularly with respect to the installation of two rings of perimeter security around storage magazines akin to prisons or military sites. The regulations also require magazine inspections as frequent as twice a day, and other prescriptive, rather than performance based, requirements.

    According to the APA, these hurried amendments are based upon arbitrary assumptions that will cost licensed facilities to invest $10,000 - $150,000 per site based on DEP estimates to retrofit facilities in order to achieve compliance. Heckman believes, based on industry estimates, that actual costs could easily be twice that amount. Yet, the loopholes that exist under current homeland security regulations will remain wide open. "In essence, the amendments do nothing but harm the regulated and licensed community, not hinder potential terrorists," said Heckman.

    The fireworks industry, along with the commercial explosives industry, has enjoyed an impeccable public safety and security record. That record is due to the fact that stringent federal regulations already exist to protect the public and that industry often follows even stricter voluntary measures. Increased security provisions have been promulgated by a host of federal regulatory agencies since 9-11, and industry has embraced these additional requirements fully in the spirit of cooperation. However, there comes a time when a business or trade group has to step forward and say, enough is enough! For the fireworks industry, that time is now, "the emergency amendments are excessive and only serve to penalize the licensed explosives manufacturers, distributors, and users," says Heckman. She urges Pennsylvania to study real potential threats by working closely with industry members to solve those security concerns, rather than impose a mish mash of arbitrary requirements on an already heavily regulated and licensed explosives community.

APA New Releases, 17th January,2005

Fireworks Producer Given Death Penalty for Explosion Killing 36

    SHENYANG, Dec. 23(Xinhuanet) - Chen Jicheng, former chairman of the board of directors of a fireworks factory, sentanced to death for producing explosives illegally and causing an explosion killing 36 last December in Tieling, a city in northeastern China's Liaoning Province.

    The verdict was issued by Tieling Municipal Intermediate People's Court on Wednesday.

    An explosion hit Changtu Safe Environment Friendly Fireworks Company Limited on Dec. 30 last year, killing 36 and injuring 32 workers.

    Chen was also convicted of loan fraud, according to the court. With genuine or fake indentities, Chen obtained 2.59 million yuan (312,048 US dollars) of loans from March 1996 to December 1999.

    To avoid repayment, he fled to Liaoning with a fake identity card in 2001.

    Chen set up a fireworks plant in Fushun in May 2002, but local police soon closed it. He then ran another fireworks plant in Siping, but it was also forced to close in December 2002, according to the court.

    Chen was persistent in the fireworks business and opened another fireworks plant in Changtu Country, He started fireworks production before obtaining legal permits or giving workers insufficient training, which caused the tragedy.

    Another defendant, You Tao, general manager of the company, was sentenced to seven years in prison for producing explosives illegally.

National Fireworks Association (NFA News Letter) - http://www.chinaview.cn,23rd December,2004