(The Center Square) — Two environmental groups are suing SeaWorld San Diego for allegedly failing to follow its Clean Water Act permits. They claim that has led to pollutant discharge violations during the theme park’s nightly fireworks. 

Nonprofits San Diego Coastkeeper and Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld on March 6 for not following its Clean Water Act fireworks permit and waste discharge permit. By not adhering to its permits, the groups claim the theme park is discharging large amounts of pollutants into Mission Bay. 

“SeaWorld’s reckless disregard for its environmental obligations threaten the health of Mission Bay and the people and wildlife that rely on it, and contradicts the company’s stated mission to conserve wildlife worldwide,” Phillip Musegaas, executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper, said in a press release on March 10. 

The environmental groups said SeaWorld’s fireworks are polluting Mission Bay because the park does not follow any cleanup rules. They’re accusing SeaWorld of allowing a “shocking amount” of debris and chemicals from their displays to rain down on the water and stay in the water.

The groups said debris and chemicals in the water are an issue because they contaminate the water and threaten the ecosystem. For example, chemicals such as barium and strontium are in fireworks and can be “toxic to fish and invertebrates,” the groups said in their lawsuit. The groups also said fireworks displays leave behind debris such as plastic shell casings and cardboard. 

The Center Square reached out to SeaWorld, which declined to commit on the lawsuit.

The environmental groups had issued a Notice of Intent to sue against SeaWorld in November, giving the theme park 60 days to address their discharges from firework displays and fish and marine mammal tanks. The groups claim SeaWorld made no changes, prompting them to follow through with a lawsuit against the theme park.

“After years of noncompliance and pollution, we are taking legal action to force SeaWorld to act responsibly,” Musegaas said.

Coastkeeper said it is not opposed to firework displays, but encourage displays to be done in a manner in which they are not threatening water quality, in a position statement on fireworks. Coastkeeper and CERF said they are not telling SeaWorld to stop its firework displays, but are encouraging the park to agree to clean up rules and comply with its Clean Water Act permits.

“Our goal is to see the tradition of fireworks shows continue in a responsible way which will not pollute our regional waters,” Coastkeeper said in its position statement.