For the last couple of weeks, I have been spending most of my time reading about artificial turf. My Right To Know generated 445 pages on turf, while the second batch included an additional 178 pages. But in those 623 pages, very little was mentioned about the safety of crumb rubber infill, or as I like to call it, toxic turf. When safety was discussed, it was usually in reference to appeasing a select few.
Kelly Fraasch has updated her blog to include her Concerns about Crumb Rubber Infill. Kelly posed some straightforward questions such as:
Mr. Franklin insists that artificial turf is lead-free. Not true, Dave. According to Kelly's latest post, Field Turf, the largest artificial turf manufacturer in North America, sells a lead-free artificial turf, but only if the community asks for the custom-made field. The fields that most communities purchase, use lead to brighten the field's colors and for a sport team logo.
Lebo Citizens readers have expressed concern for their asthmatic children. Artificial turf does have an adverse affect on asthmatics.
Once we go with artificial turf in our park, there is no turning back. When plastic replaces natural grass, nothing will grow there without years of soil remediation.
Then there is the whole "misrepresentation" of the ESB's position. Only two websites have posted the ESB's statement; Kelly Fraasch's blog post ESB Statement to Commission and Lebo Citizens' Environmental Sustainability Board's statement to the Commission concerning artificial turf. You will not find the ESB's statement on any municipal site.There was a hint mentioned in Susan Morgans' article, field fundraising under way.
Kelly Fraasch has updated her blog to include her Concerns about Crumb Rubber Infill. Kelly posed some straightforward questions such as:
- Why would companies be offering filtration systems for our waterways, but not have any reservations about putting a child on the turf that they are filtering the particles from? Filtrations systems are being offered to Mt. Lebanon as revealed in my RTK.
- Why with all the regulations on tires in our dumps and disposal centers would we find the tires any different laying out on a field getting stuck on our children’s clothing and skin, or worse, ingesting/inhaling the crumbs or crumb dust?
Mr. Franklin insists that artificial turf is lead-free. Not true, Dave. According to Kelly's latest post, Field Turf, the largest artificial turf manufacturer in North America, sells a lead-free artificial turf, but only if the community asks for the custom-made field. The fields that most communities purchase, use lead to brighten the field's colors and for a sport team logo.
Lebo Citizens readers have expressed concern for their asthmatic children. Artificial turf does have an adverse affect on asthmatics.
Once we go with artificial turf in our park, there is no turning back. When plastic replaces natural grass, nothing will grow there without years of soil remediation.
Then there is the whole "misrepresentation" of the ESB's position. Only two websites have posted the ESB's statement; Kelly Fraasch's blog post ESB Statement to Commission and Lebo Citizens' Environmental Sustainability Board's statement to the Commission concerning artificial turf. You will not find the ESB's statement on any municipal site.There was a hint mentioned in Susan Morgans' article, field fundraising under way.
The proposal was controversial, with some residents opposed because of the approximately $1 million price tag and others citing health or environmental concerns.Please read Kelly Fraasch's in depth article Concerns about Crumb Rubber Infill. Keep in mind that organic infill is slightly better; however, the plastic rug underneath the infill is still hazardous.The decision yet to be made by the commissioners is: organic toxic turf or synthetic toxic turf. My vote is natural grass.