Fireworks firm under fire

Calabasas City Councilman Barry Groveman doesn’t want the city to contract with companies that are environmentally reckless. He and the city council asked staff to write a policy requiring companies that do business with Calabasas to disclose any relevant environmental information as part of the bidding process.

This issue came up after Groveman, an attorney who’s handling a water case in the Inland Empire, discovered that a particular company was involved in an alleged water contamination incident. The same company has done work for Calabasas and will be bidding for a future contract.

"At issue is the annual award of a contract to the fireworks company Pyro Spectaculars, Inc., located in the Inland Empire," Groveman said during a recent city council meeting. "Pyro Spectaculars, along with several other corporations, has been named a potentially responsible party for alleged serious water contamination in the Inland Empire, affecting over 500,000 people," Groveman said.

"Pyro Spectaculars is a manufacturer and operator of fireworks, which uses the chemical perchlorate in its process," he said. "Perchlorate poses serious health risks to humans."

Calabasas city staff is already seeking another fireworks company to present the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration, according to Calabasas City Manager Tony Coroalles.

A representative of Pyro Spectaculars responded to The Acorn regarding this matter but couldn’t speak for the company. Another representative was also expected to discuss the issue but didn’t respond before deadline.

—Michael Picarella