A marketing firm has been fined $7,000 for releasing thousands of red latex balloons that ended up in San Francisco Bay after a video game publicity stunt went awry.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/uD1RrM ) that the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board announced the fine against TrashTalkFCM on Tuesday.
The board says the balloons released in March presented a hazard to wildlife, and the company agreed to pay the fine for ``unauthorized discharge into the waters of the United States.''
The board's assistant executive officer, Thomas Mumley, says the maximum penalty would have been $10,000 for a day of discharge. The penalty is usually associated with oil or sewage spills.
TrashTalkFCM has since changed its name to the Awestruck Marketing Group.
Balloon Stunt Costs Marketing Firm
Calif. firm fined $7K for balloon stunt gone awry
Copyright AP - Associated Press
