Will the Democrats drop the balloon drop? An emphasis on environmental friendliness, combined with an outdoor venue, could poke a needle in the traditional balloon drop at the Democratic National Convention this year.

While acknowledging that balloons are as much a part of political conventions as ballots, Andrea Robinson, the director of Sustainability and Greening for the Denver event, has been using her own compost pile to test the industry claim that the balloons are biodegradable. Meanwhile, managing balloons simply as litter could be a problem, with the convention's climactic fourth day scheduled for Denver's outdoor pro football stadium.

"We've not made a decision yet on balloons," said convention spokesman Damon Young.

At the Republican convention in St. Paul, perhaps as many as 100,000 balloons are scheduled to be dropped at Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 4, when John McCain accepts the party's presidential nomination.

Even though that will be indoors -- and so the balloons will be contained -- some viewers might wonder about the green implications. People in the balloon industry say not to worry.

While the Democrats do their own lab work, most of the nonfoil balloons on the market, in the air or in trash cans today are "100 percent natural latex ... biodegradable," said Dan Flynn, chief operating officer for Pioneer Balloon Co. of Wichita, Kan., the nation's largest balloon manufacturer.

Pioneer makes several billion balloons each year, and industry tests have shown that latex balloons, whose chief ingredient is made from the sap of rubber trees, will degrade at the same rate as an oak leaf, in similar conditions, Flynn said.

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman said the agency has not tested balloons for biodegradability.

Greg Arrigoni of St. Paul, project manager for the balloon drop at the GOP convention, said all the balloons will be latex. Whether composted, recycled or incinerated, they will not represent an environmental problem, said Cathy Moeger, director with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Getting energy from incinerating them would be a plus, Moeger added.

BILL MCAULIFFE