Will 4th of July Fireworks Fly in La Jolla?

An environmental attorney may try to block the annual fireworks show in La Jolla next

An environmental attorney whoโ€™s been working on lawsuits against fireworks shows for years has not ruled out the possibility of trying to block the big fireworks spectacular planned in La Jolla for the 4th of July.

A short time ago, a judge ruled in favor of environmental attorney Marco Gonzalez, who argues that the city of San Diego is illegally issuing permits for fireworks shows without proper environmental reviews.

Now, Gonzalez may try to block a 4th of July fireworks extravaganza that has been a staple in the La Jolla skies for the past 27 years if the event organizer or the city doesnโ€™t make an effort to seek environmental studies prior to the show.

On Thursday the explosive legal battle over fireworks in San Diego landed in a courtroom bursting with, at times, confusing legal arguments

A judge upheld the earlier ruling that the city should have completed environmental studies before issuing permits for the shows.

โ€œIf there was any doubt in our minds that we were causing any kind of harm to our beautiful coastline or the park, we wouldn't put on the fireworks show,โ€ argued Gonzalez.

An attorney for the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation said Thursday that theyโ€™ve already done what is legally required to put on the 4th of July show.

โ€œIn order to have a wedding in a city park, you don't need to get an environmental impact report. In order to have a 20-minute fireworks show, once a year, you don't have to go through a $100,000 environmental impact analysis,โ€ said Deborah Marengo of the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation.

For its part, an attorney for the city argued its permit process is legal.

And, an appeal is still pending on the original lawsuit filed by Gonzalez.

That decision could impact all the other legal maneuvering that has followed this heated debate over fireworks in San Diego.

Check back for updates on this story.

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