7.4 Archives - Standards Michigan

Code for Fireworks Display

“Fireworks over Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome” | Jacob Philipp Hackert (1775)

At least twice a year, and during performances with flame effects, public safety departments in colleges and universities have an elevated concern about campus citizen safety, and the safety of the host community, when fireworks are used for celebration. We find very rigorous prohibitions against the use of fireworks, weapons and explosives on campus. Education and enforcement usually falls on facility and operation campus safety units.

That much said, we follow development, but do not advocate in NFPA 1123 Code for Fireworks Display, because it lies among a grouping of titles that set the standard of care for many college and university public safety departments that sometimes need to craft prohibitions with consideration for the business purposes of entertainment and celebration in education facilities. NFPA 1123 is not a long document — only 22 pages of core text — but it contains a few basic considerations for display site selection, clearances and permitting that campus public safety departments will coordinate with the host community. It references NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience and NFPA 160 Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience.

Something to keep an eye on. The home page for this code is linked below:

NFPA 1123 Code for Fireworks Display

For a sense of the technical discussions, transcripts of two developmental stages are linked below:

Public Input Report

Public Comment Report

Public comment on 2026 Edition proposed revisions is receivable until May 30, 2024.

We maintain this title on our periodic Prometheus colloquium. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

Issue: [16-134]

Category: Public Safety

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

More

Readings / PYROTECHNIC ARTS & SCIENCES IN EUROPEAN HISTORY

The Chemistry of Fireworks

The Chemistry of Fireworks

Readings / PYROTECHNIC ARTS & SCIENCES IN EUROPEAN HISTORY

Morrill Land-Grant Act

IEEE Rural Electric Power Conference | Agricultural Extension Offices

“Harvest Rest” 1865 George Cole

“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end

contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.”

— Thomas Jefferson

From the Wikipedia: Land-grant university

“…A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.

The Morrill Acts funded educational institutions by granting federally controlled land to the states for them to sell, to raise funds, to establish and endow “land-grant” colleges. The mission of these institutions as set forth in the 1862 Act is to focus on the teaching of practical agriculture, science, military science, and engineering (though “without excluding… classical studies”), as a response to the industrial revolution and changing social class. This mission was in contrast to the historic practice of higher education to focus on a liberal arts curriculum. A 1994 expansion gave land grant status to several tribal colleges and universities….”

Link to the original legislation:

THIRTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS / Approved July 2, 1862

The Morrill Land-Grant Act has not undergone significant changes in its core structure within the past decade. However, there have been important developments and discussions surrounding its implementation, particularly regarding the use of land originally designated under the Act.

One key area of focus has been the ongoing management of trust lands associated with land-grant universities. Investigations have revealed that many of these lands continue to generate substantial revenue, often through activities such as fossil fuel production, mining, timber sales, and agriculture.

For instance, between 2018 and 2022, trust lands associated with land-grant universities generated over $6.7 billion in revenue. These investigations have also highlighted the historical context of how these lands were acquired, often from Indigenous nations, sparking ongoing debates about equity and restitution.

Join me for a weekly Q&A series where I’ll be answering questions on what @USDA is doing to support young farmers. To kick things off, this week’s topic is about new market opportunities. pic.twitter.com/8gjBpFrF21

— Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small (@DepSecXoch) August 6, 2024

Several universities associated with the Morrill Land-Grant Act continue to generate significant revenue from fossil fuels, timber, and agricultural activities. Here are some examples:

Washington State University (WSU): WSU benefits from timber sales on its trust lands, which have generated over $1.1 billion in revenue from 1889 to 2022. These lands are used for timber production, grazing, and other activities (Grist).
University of Arizona: The university’s trust lands are involved in grazing, timber, and fossil fuel production. These lands generate revenue through leases for activities such as mining and oil extraction (Grist).
University of Texas: The Permanent University Fund, which includes land-grant lands, generates revenue primarily through oil and gas production. The University of Texas system benefits significantly from these fossil fuel activities (Grist).
University of Wyoming: Like other land-grant institutions, the University of Wyoming manages trust lands that produce revenue through activities like coal mining and grazing (Grist).

These activities raise important questions about the environmental and ethical implications of continuing to use land-grant trust lands in this manner, especially given the historical context of how these lands were acquired.

Point / Counterpoint