05/19/2026
Our Dear Leadership of St. Charles County, Missouri:
Firstly, I’d like to thank all of you for your dedicated service to the citizens of St. Charles County. As a resident of St. Charles County since 1958 I’ve seen much of the unbelievable growth over the past 60 years. All of this growth would not have been possible without the leadership of dedicated persons like yourselves.
I’m wanting to bring to your attention the sale and use of unlawful fireworks in St. Charles County. I’m writing on behalf of the residents of St. Charles County. Many of the property owners live on 3 to 5 acres in the rural areas of our county, with many additional new subdivisions now bringing our total population to over four hundred thousand residents. So, with our growing population, it’s time our concerns of the use of unlawful fireworks are addressed and managed in a lawful manner.
Due to all of the growth, the new homes, the new residents, many changes have adversely affected the residents of St. Charles County. The senior residents and the veterans are very much adversely affected by the use of unlawful fireworks in St. Charles County. The animals and birds in our rural areas have been adversely affected as well.
Sound waves from these unlawful fireworks spread out from the initial explosion and the resulting concussion can have a negative impact on the hearts and nervous systems of wildlife, as well as domesticated animals. All biological systems are affected negatively by the blasts of these unlawful fireworks.
According to the experts, Chiropter Ologist, Ornithologist, and Animal Biologist, the blasts from these fireworks can disrupt herding cycles, causing birds to flee their nests, causing both birds and animals to abandon their young. These unusually large blasts produce acute sensory overload for nocturnal species causing collisions with building and other fixed objects, plus these blasts cause birds extreme exhaustion through prolonged flight in their pursuit to flee these unusually large sounds. Owls and bats rely on acute hearing and echolocation to navigate, of which, these unpredictable sonic booms can damage and interrupt their ability to hunt for food for long periods of time. The resulting trauma from these blasts can last for days and weeks. In many instances, the resulting trauma from these unlawful fireworks equate to death for birds and animals, alike.
In the upcoming months of the year when locals are celebrating Independence Day, residents and the wildlife in St. Charles County experience lots of unnecessary and unusually loud fireworks that have a true adverse effect. In recent years with the sale of these unlawful fireworks some residents go to the extreme in their celebrations in the use of these type fireworks, of which, many of these fireworks literally sound like “bombs” that you see and hear in the movies. My understanding is that these types of fireworks are illegal, but unfortunately, these type fireworks, seemingly, are ignored by the local officials and law enforcement and these type fireworks have gotten completely out of control.
We residents request you formally address this matter in a proactive manner. Before the upcoming holiday. It seems the inspection process of these businesses, these fireworks stands, falls short of accomplishing the end result of marketing lawful fireworks, only.
Only you can prevent the residents of St. Charles County, as well as the animals and wildlife from being adversely affected by the use of these unlawful fireworks. Addressing the use of these unlawful fireworks “after the fact” and after multiple complaints each year has accomplished nothing. It’s time that the leadership of St. Charles County keeps pace with the dramatic growth we’ve experienced in recent years and put a stop to the marketing and the use of these unlawful practices.
I hope you officials will take our requests seriously and put a stop to the use of these unlawful fireworks in St. Charles County and I hope and request you will do that this year as has been requested many years in the past. The accumulated tax revenues from the sale of fireworks in St. Charles County is not nearly as important as the wellbeing of the tax-paying residents and voters of St. Charles County. As the population of St. Charles County grows, your responsibilities and obligations grow proportionately.
