BEAUFORT, S.C. (WTOC) - The City of Beaufort has officially become the first city in South Carolina to ban balloon releases, passing an ordinance designed to protect local waterways and wildlife.

The city council voted to make releasing balloons into the air illegal within city limits, including at parks. Violators could face fines and jail time, particularly for releasing large quantities of balloons.

The ordinance mirrors legislation that stalled in the state legislature in January. The move comes as the city reaffirms its commitment to protecting waterways and the animals that live within or near it.

“We have a significant portion of marshland that we really need to be good stewards of and part of that is protecting it from unnecessary pollution, balloons are a part of that,” said Sc

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