2015 REPORT TO KINNELON
COUNCIL MEMBERS
RE: SYNTHETIC VS. NATURAL
GRASS TURF FIELDS
This report was compiled as a public service by
members of Kinnelon Conserves and the Coalition for
Safe, Green Fields.
Salient information is printed in red and green for easy
viewing.
Report prepared by Avery Hart, 5 Cherry Tree Lane
Contact: avery123@optonline.net, 973-492-3404
CONTENTS
A – Standing Warning Sign, Ridgefield, Ct……………..4
B – University of Sienna, Italy…………………………… 5
C – USA TODAY – national newspaper…………….......6
D – Lehigh Valley Sustainability Alliance………………9
E – West Orange News and Observer………………....13
F – FOX News and Reuters News………………………16
G – Chemosphere…………………………………….......18
H – NBC News Special Investigation…………………. 20
I – The Equalizer: Women’s’ Soccer News…………….21
J – Forbes Magazine…………………………………….23
K – Falcon Online, Sarasota, FL…………………………25
L– Norwegian Institute for Water Research………….. 26
M – Environment & Human Health. Open Letter………28
N – Features and Benefits of Natural Grass Fields...30-33
O - University of Arkansas: Turf Fact Sheet
ADDENDUM: You Tube videos
EXHIBIT A
STANDING TURF WARNING SIGN:
EXHIBIT B
From the University of Sienna Italy
Release of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals
from Rubber Crumb in Synthetic Turf Fields: Preliminary Hazard
Assessment for Athletes
Letizia Marsili1*, Daniele Coppola1, Nicola Bianchi1, Silvia Maltese1, Massimo Bianchi2 and Maria Cristina Fossi1
1
Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, Siena University, Via Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
2
Department of Political Science and International, Siena University, Via Mattioli 10, 53100 Siena, Italy
Abstract
Synthetic turf, made with an infill of rubber crumb from used tyres or virgin
rubber, is now common in many sporting facilities. It is known that it contains
compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals.
We evaluated in nine samples of rubber crumb the total content of some heavy
metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, Fe) normally found in tyres by microwave
mineralization and the levels of the 14 US EPA priority PAHs by Soxhlet extraction
and HPLC analysis. The results showed high levels of PAHs and zinc in all rubber
crumb samples compared to rubber granulate limits set by Italian National
Amateur League (LND). Following the precautionary principle, a risk assessment
at 25°C was done, using the Average Daily Dose (ADD) assumed by athletes,
expressed in terms of mass of contaminant per unit of body weight per day
(mg/kg day), and the Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD) and then evaluating the
Hazard Index (HI) and the Cumulative Excess Cancer Risk (ΣECR). In the different
rubber granulates samples the HI ranges from a minimum of 8.94×10-7 to a
maximum of 1.16×10-6, while the ΣECR ranges from a minimum of 4.91×10-9 to a
maximum of 1.10×10-8.
The aim of this study was to estimate the “hazard” for athletes inhaling PAHs
released at the high temperatures this synthetic turf may reach. A sequence of
proofs was carried out at 60°C, a temperature that this rubber crumb can easily
reach in sporting installations, to see whether PAH release occurs. The toxicity
equivalent (TEQ) of evaporates from rubber crumb represents a major
contribution to the total daily intake of PAHs by different routes.
Link to complete study:
http://omicsonline.org/open-access/release-of-polycyclic-aromatichydrocarbons-and-heavy-metals-from-rubber-crumb-in-syntheticturf-fields-2161-0525.1000265.php?aid=39265
EXHIBIT C
USA TODAY
March 15, 2015
“Lead levels high enough to potentially harm children have been found
in artificial turf used at thousands of schools, playgrounds and day-care
centers across the country, yet two federal agencies continue to promote
the surfacing as safe, a USA TODAY analysis shows.
The growing use of turf fields layered with rubber crumbs has raised health
concerns centered mostly on whether players face increased risk of injury,
skin infection or cancer. The U.S. has more than 11,000 artificial turf fields.
But largely overlooked has been the possible harm to young children from
ingesting lead in turf materials, and the federal government's role in
encouraging their use despite doing admittedly limited research on their
health safety.
Lead is a well-known children's hazard that over time can cause lost
intelligence, developmental delays, and damage to organs and the
nervous system.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission, charged with protecting
children from lead in consumer products, has promoted turf-and-rubber
fields for nearly seven years with a website headline declaring them "OK to
install, OK to play on." A news release says, "Young children are not at risk
from exposure to lead in these fields," even though the commission found
potentially hazardous lead levels in some turf fibers and did not test any
rubber crumbs, which are made from recycled tires that contain roughly 30
hazardous substances including lead.
The commission has acknowledged shortcomings in its 2008 study,
which spokesman Scott Wolfson says "was just a handful of fields and was
not representative of the full scope of fields across the country."
The Environmental Protection Agency has promoted the use of rubber
crumbs in athletic fields and on playground surfaces since 1995 to help
create markets for recycled car and truck tires. But the EPA didn't
investigate the potential toxicity until 2008 and now says in a statement that
"more testing needs to be done" to determine the materials' safety.
"We're using children as part of the poison squad," said Bruce Lanphear,
a leading researcher on lead poisoning at Simon Fraser University in
Canada, who suggests a moratorium on installing artificial-turf fields
until their safety is proved.
The CDC in 2008 said communities should test recreational areas with turf
fibers made from nylon, and they should bar children younger than 6 from
the areas if the lead level exceeded the federal limit for lead in soil in
children's play areas.
But some communities have refused to test their fields, fearing that a high
lead level would generate lawsuits or force them to replace and remove a
field, which costs about $1 million, according to a 2011 New Jersey state
report.
Forty-five of 50 New Jersey schools and towns contacted in 2009 by
epidemiologist Stuart Shalat would not let him test their turf-and-rubber
fields, Shalat's report states. The EPA also found, in 2009, that "it was
difficult to obtain access and permission to sample at playgrounds and
synthetic turf fields."
"If you're exposing children to some potentially harmful compounds,
whether it's organic compounds or metals, you'd think you'd want to
know so you can take some action instead of putting your hands over
your eyes and saying, 'I don't see a problem,' " Shalat said.
STUDIES ON RISKS WIDELY DEBATED
Industry groups have touted the federal endorsements, which have helped
vastly expand the nation's use of artificial turf. It now blankets more than
11,000 fields, from NFL stadiums to elementary-school plots, and millions
more square feet at resorts, office parks and playgrounds, according to the
Synthetic Turf Council.
"There is tremendous growth in all sectors of the industry," the council says,
calling turf a durable, year-round playing surface that needs no watering,
pesticides or fertilizers.
The council says turf materials are safe for people of all ages who may
absorb particulates through ingestion, inhalation or skin contact.
Government and academic studies "all have concluded" that a turf-andrubber field "does not pose a human health risk to people of all ages," the
council says in a PowerPoint presentation.
But the council mischaracterizes some studies and ignores scientists'
warnings about children possibly ingesting lead in turf fibers and
rubber crumbs.
The council quotes a supposed statement in a 2002 EPA report saying
that children who play for years on turf-and-rubber fields face only
minimal increased cancer risk. The statement actually is from a Rubber
Manufacturers Association report and is not in the EPA report. Council
spokeswoman Terrie Ward said the inaccuracy was "an honest
mistake."
Only a few studies have investigated the possible harm to young children
from ingesting turf fibers or rubber crumbs, which can be as small as a
pencil tip or as large as a wood chip. The studies analyzed a small number of
turf materials.
A widely cited study by California officials in 2007 did not consider
health effects of children ingesting rubber crumbs or turf fibers. The study
analyzed three playground surfaces made of crumbs fused into a solid
rubberized surface and found negligible risk from children ingesting rubber
dust that might get on their hands or from swallowing a rubber chunk once
in their lifetimes.
"Research consistently supports the safety of recycled crumb rubber," said
Mark Oldfield, a spokesman for the California Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery. Nonetheless, the department is planning a new
study on health effects of artificial turf and crumb rubber that will look at
children ingesting crumb material chronically.
Connecticut state toxicologist Gary Ginsberg says turf materials would not
be a "major source of lead" for young children given the limited amount of
time they spend on a field or playground.
Others are worried. The Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection
in January stopped giving communities money to build playgrounds and
fields with crumb rubber. "There are no large-scale, national studies on the
possible health issues associated with inhalation, ingestion or contact," the
department said. "Research to date has been inconclusive, contradictory or
limited in scope."
CDC: 'No safe lead level' in children
At least 10 studies since 2007 — including those by the safety commission
and the EPA — have found potentially harmful lead levels in turf fibers
and in rubber crumbs, USA TODAY found.
Read the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/03/15/artificial-turfhealth-safety-studies/24727111/
EXHIBIT D
Lehigh Valley Sustainability Alliance
Open Letter to Anyone Considering Synthetic
Turf
March 12, 2015 The following appeared in the Lehigh Valley press,
Express-Times and Morning Call
TO: Schools and municipalities considering synthetic turf
In the last couple of years, considerable evidence has emerged that
indicates that synthetic turf is a serious health concern. The EPA
even took the unusual step of withdrawing their assurances and
called for new studies; Environment & Human Health has called
for a moratorium on any new fields until the health and
environmental concerns are resolved. So this is a bad time to
proceed with such installations, and we urge you to reconsider or
defer action.
First of all, most decision-makers do not have reliable information
about synthetic turf. They hear rumors about health concerns, but are
assured by the synthetic turf marketers that it is entirely safe.
(Unfortunately, the information provided by synthetic turf companies
is often incomplete, misleading, or incorrect.)
To assist those faced with making decisions on the pros & cons of
installing synthetic turf, I am working this semester with a Lehigh
University student (who also plays lacrosse for Lehigh) to compile
and analyze what is now known about synthetic turf. We are
assembling reliable information on costs, health and environmental
concerns, and recommended operational policies and practices to
protect public health and safety. At this point, there are few absolute
answers, but many reasons to be cautious. In addition to a reported
link to lymphoma—a serious blood cancer—other known health and
safety concerns include the following:







Infill materials involving ‘crumb rubber’ contain a variety of
compounds that are known to be harmful. These include
black carbon, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons [PAH] & volatile
organic compounds [VOC], and phenols, all of which are known
to have serious health impacts — and release of these
compounds is heightened in warm weather. In addition, lead,
zinc, and other hazardous metals such as selenium and
cadmium are present in some infill materials and can leach
from the fields and affect those who use them — and pollute air
and water as well. Release of these compounds is heightened
by warm conditions.
Playing area temperatures in the summer can be
dangerous: Brigham Young University recorded surface
temperatures over 150°F (~65°C), far above a safe surface
temperature of 120°F (~49°C). These temperatures validate
concerns about heat stress or heat stroke and add the
possibility of burns from contact with the surface.
Modern synthetic turf causes serious ‘turf burns’ for
athletes—if not treated immediately & properly, these burns
can lead to permanent scarring and serious infection, including
antibiotic-resistant staph infections such as MRSA.
[Also see Turf Burns – Treatment page.]
Contact with fine particles from the infill material can
produce severe irritation of the respiratory system, eyes, skin,
and mucous membranes, in addition to systemic effects on the
liver and kidneys. When this dust becomes airborne, it can also
affect spectators and others who happen to be near.
Infill material is known to contain toxins, carcinogens,
teratogens, and endocrine disruptors—and those who use
the field often inhale and ingest particles of the infill material or
absorb the toxins from skin contact—especially if the skin
surface is broken by even minor turf burns.
Because synthetic turf is flammable, it is often treated with
flame retardants. These are known to cause reproductive
disorders, birth defects, infertility, and developmental disorders.
Synthetic Turf also has global warming impacts, with
average emissions estimated at about 55 tons per year over a
10-year life, compared to a -10 impact from natural turf.
Since it is clear that installing synthetic turf may present serious risks
to human health and the environment, the precautionary principle
requires us to defer such action.
If it is decided to proceed with synthetic turf fields despite the
known hazards, we think it is extremely important to consider
the following:
1. Because of the many serious concerns associated with crumb
rubber infill, we urge rejection of any proposals that use crumb rubber
infill or other rubber componds, including ‘Nike Grind’.
2. Because public fields will likely be used by leagues, informal
groups, and members of the general public—including children—it is
essential to make sure users and parents have clear information
about the health hazards and how to protect their health. This may
require clear signage and warnings.
3. To protect public safety in the summer, the fields should be closed
whenever the surface temperature exceeds a safe level. This means
not only preventing organized games, but making sure that children
do not wander onto the hot surface.
4. Because vendors have been known to exaggerate cost savings,
they should be required to provide detailed written information to back
up any claims about health, safety, or reduced maintenance requirements or costs. For example, some studies comparing synthetic to
natural turf have shown that costs for synthetic turf can be higher
than natural turf! (Potential vendors should be required to present any
claims and responses to questions in writing.) Ongoing costs may
include the need to inform the public and anyone who uses the fields
about how to protect themselves and their children, and specialized
training for EMS personnel. [Also see Turf Burns – Treatment page.]
5. In many or most cases, synthetic turf ‘vendors’ act as brokers,
contracting with other parties to provide design services, manufacture
the turf, deliver the infill material, and install the drainage systems
and turf. This makes it difficult to rely on any assurances or even
written warranties, so it is important to consider how to protect
against claims that may arise.
6. As of March 2015, at least four law firms have announced the
intention to file class-action lawsuits on behalf of children and
others exposed to synthetic turf.
References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
‘How Safe Is the Artificial Turf Your Child Plays On?’ (NBC News, 8 October 2014)
‘Are artificial turf fields carcinogenic?‘ (Saratoga Falcon | Saratoga HS, November 2013)
‘Toxicologist unsurprised by artificial turf-cancer report’ (Soccer Wire, 14 November 2014)
‘Be Aware of Artificial Turf Hazards’ fact sheet (NJ Work Environment Council)
‘What to Know About Artificial Turf Fields’ fact sheet (Mt. Sinai Children’s Environmental
Health Center, 2011)
Recommendations for Use] (EHHI, 2007) [link to Full Report]
Natural Grass and Artificial Turf: Separating Myths and Facts (Turfgrass Resource Center)
[Note: This informative booklet comes from the Turfgrass Producers association, so it may reflect
some bias. We will be reviewing their claims and calculations in detail, but have not yet had time
to do so.][If you have questions,email turf@sustainlv.org.]
Exhibit E
West Orange News and Observer
West Orange High’s turf field deemed
unplayable By Steven Ryzewski on March 19, 2015
The turf field at West Orange High School is taped off following its being
deemed as unplayable.
To donate to help replace the synthetic turf field at West Orange High
School, click HERE.—
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on March 19 and has
been updated on March 20 at 10:30 a.m.
WINTER GARDEN — The synthetic turf field at West Orange High School
has been deemed unplayable, athletic director Adam Miller confirmed to the
West Orange Times & Observer on March 19.
The field, which was installed in 2007, was due for a replacement, but the
school has been having trouble raising the necessary funds and had called on
the community to help pitch in.
According to Miller, a representative had come to inspect the field in
December, after which time the school made some fixes to try and keep the
field playable. A different representative came in late February to check up
on the field and on March 19 it was relayed to Miller and his staff that the
field no longer meets ASTM standards and is unplayable.
The unplayable distinction means that, until the field is replaced, no further
events can take place on it — including boys and girls lacrosse, as well as
girls flag football, which are all currently in season.
Boys lacrosse will not be impacted, as they had already played their final
home game. The girls team, however, will have to play its final home game
— scheduled for March 31 against Wekiva — at Wekiva instead of on
Raymond Screws Field.
As for flag football, which just recently began its regular season, Miller said
the school is looking into utilizing an auxiliary field that is often used by the
band for practice, as well as the West Orange Bobcats youth football team,
and is located between the varsity baseball field and the school’s ninth grade
center.
Varsity programs affiliated with the school are not the only ones effected,
though.
The Orlando Rage, a non-profit minor league football team which competes
in the Florida Football Alliance, rents out Raymond Screws Field as its
home field and has home games scheduled for March 28, April 11 and April
18 that will need to be relocated.
The Central Florida Youth Football League, which has a spring season for
its players, also had plans to utilize the facility on the weekends for games.
West Orange’s varsity football program is scheduled to host Gainesville on
May 29 for its spring game. If the field is not replaced by then, it is likely
that game will have to be cancelled, or else relocated. On Thursday, Miller
expressed confidence in the West Orange community that a replacement
field will be purchased and installed in time for the spring. Miller confirmed
on Thursday that the school needs donations totaling $232,000 to secure a
replacement
EXHIBIT F
FOX NEWS and REUTERS NEWS
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/30/football-knee-injurieslikelier-on-artificial-turf-than-grass/
Football knee injuries
likelier on artificial turf
than grass
Published April 30, 2012
Reuters
Fac ebook T witter li vefyr e Email
(iStock)
College football players suffer knee injuries about 40 percent more
often when playing on an artificial surface compared to when they're
playing on grass, according to a new study.
"We thought it was interesting because many universities are switching to
the new generation artificial turf," said Dr. Jason Dragoo, the study's lead
author and a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.
"This doesn't say there's conclusive evidence that turf increases the injury
rate, but maybe we can say it's not as safe as we thought it was," Dragoo
told Reuters Health.
The findings, published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, were
part of a study looking back on knee injuries among college football
players to see when they might be most vulnerable to getting hurt.
Dragoo and his colleagues note in their report that football is the leading
cause of sports-related injuries in the U.S.
"The bottom line is anything we can get from these statistics will help us
understand why players are getting these injuries and what we can do
about it," Dragoo said.
The research team examined cases of tears to the anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL) in the knee that were reported to the National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance System.
The surveillance system includes about 10 percent of schools in the
NCAA, and the study period spanned the 2004-2009 playing seasons.
Dragoo's group found 318 injuries to the ACL during those seasons, which
translated to a rate of 14 injuries for every 100,000 "exposures." Each time
a player practiced, scrimmaged or played a game was counted as one
exposure.
ACL injuries were 10 times more common during games than during
practices, and close to five times as common during scrimmages than
during regular practice.
Athletes were also 1.39 times as likely to be injured when playing on
modern artificial turf as they were when playing on grass.
The newer types of artificial playing fields are called infill surfaces. They
have a layer of synthetic grass over a field of rubberized pellets called fill.
There were close to 18 injuries for every 100,000 exposures among
athletes playing on infill surfaces, compared to 14 injuries for every
100,000 practices or games that took place on artificial turf without fill or on
natural grass.
Dr. James Bradley, the chief orthopedic surgeon for the Pittsburgh
Steelers and a clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said the
findings support what's also been observed in the National Football
League.
Players are able to get a better grip on turf than on grass -- perhaps too
good a grip, Dragoo explained.
"So if you are in the wrong position, because your leg doesn't give way as
it does on grass, it can distribute that force to your knee and cause an
injury," he said.
Bradley said the NFL is working with shoe makers to try to design footwear
that can mimic the grip that players get on grass.
EXHIBIT G
Chemosphere
Volume 90, Issue 2, January 2013, Pages 423–431
Full article:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S00456535120098
48
Abstract
In this study, the presence of hazardous organic chemicals in
surfaces containing recycled rubber tires is investigated. Direct
material analyses using solvent extraction, as well as SPME
analysis of the vapour phase above the sample, were carried out.
Twenty-one rubber mulch samples were collected from nine
different playgrounds. In addition, seven commercial samples of
recycled rubber pavers were acquired in a local store of a
multinational company. All samples were extracted by ultrasound
energy, followed by analysis of the extract by GC–MS. The
analysis confirmed the presence of a large number of hazardous
substances including PAHs, phthalates, antioxidants (e.g. BHT,
phenols), benzothiazole and derivatives, among other chemicals.
The study evidences the high content of toxic chemicals in these
recycled materials. The concentration of PAHs in the commercial
pavers was extremely high, reaching values up to 1%. In addition,
SPME studies of the vapour phase above the samples confirm the
volatilisation of many of those organic compounds. Uses of
recycled rubber tires, especially those targeting play areas and
other facilities for children, should be a matter of regulatory
concern.
Study Highlights
► A large number of recycled tire playgrounds and commercial
pavers have been analysed. ► The occurrence of numerous
harmful compounds at high levels was confirmed. ► Thirty-one
targets (PAHs, vulcanisation additives, antioxidants, plasticizers)
were selected. ► Total PAH concentration was remarkable.
Contribution of B[a]P must be highlighted. ► Target analytes
were detected in the headspace SPME experiments at room
temperature.
EXHIBIT H
NBC NEWS INVESTIGATION
How Safe Is the Artificial Turf Your Child
Plays On? By Hannah Rappleye
FULL ARTICLE
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/how-safe-artificialturf-your-child-plays-n220166
EXCERPT
"The little black beads," she said. "In the games and practices they'd get in my eyes,
they'd get in my mouth, they'd get in my nose. My mom would get so mad at me because
I'd go to the bathroom to take a shower, and the turf bugs would be everywhere."
Jordan's mother, Suzie Swarthout, said her daughter probably swallowed hundreds of tire
crumbs a year.
Yet neither Jordan nor Suzie worried much about it. "We all had the confidence that the
proper steps had been taken, the research had been done, that it had been proved to be
safe," said Suzie.
"We all know how bad tires are," said Jordan. "You don't eat tires. Yet we were. You'd
get it in your mouth and you wouldn't think about it."
In 2013, after more than a year of mysterious thyroid problems, a biopsy determined that
the star athlete had stage three Hodgkin lymphoma.
It was one night this past May, months after doctors declared her daughter to be in
remission, when Suzie Swarthout saw Amy Griffin's story on a local news broadcast.
EXHIBIT I
The Equalizer: #1 Source of News About Women’s Soccer
Players officially file lawsuit against
FIFA, CSA over artificial turf at 2015
Women’s World Cup
Jeff Kassouf October 1, 2014 0 Comments
Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, the reigning FIFA World Player of
the Year, is among the group of players against turf at the 2015 Women’s
World Cup. She’s seen here playing at BC Place in Vancouver, site of the
World Cup final next July. (Getty Images)
A lawsuit has officially been filed by a group of women’s international
soccer players against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association regarding
the use of artificial turf at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. The players say
that it is gender discrimination to not be playing on natural grass and that
men would never have to play a World Cup on artificial turf.
The lawsuit was filed in an Ontario tribunal court on Wednesday. “This
differential treatment constitutes a violation of section 1 of the Ontario
Human Rights Code,” the lawsuit reads.
[Obtained by The Equalizer: Lawsuit | Letter to registrar | Request to
expedite proceedings]
FIFA Deputy Director for Women’s Competitions Tatjana Haenni said on
Tuesday that the 2015 World Cup will be played on turf and that “there’s no
Plan B.” She is in Canada along with an independent group assessing the
turf of all six venues to be used next year.
[MORE: Complete coverage of the 2015 Women’s World Cup Turf
War]
Players first threatened FIFA and Canada Soccer with a lawsuit in late July,
but wanted to give the organizations time to respond. The group says that
playing a World Cup on artificial turf — what they say is an “inferior”
surface” is discriminatory. Every senior men’s World Cup has been played
on natural grass. Recent youth World Cups, including the 2014 U-20
Women’s World Cup in Canada last month, have been staged on artificial
surfaces. All six venues for next year’s World Cup are slated to have
artificial turf.
Among the players on the list are past and present FIFA World Players of
the Year Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer (current title holder), U.S.
forward Abby Wambach and Brazil’s five-time World Player of the Year
Marta. Also named in the lawsuit are U.S. internationals Alex Morgan and
Heather O’Reilly, Spain captain Veronica Boquete and France’s Camille
Abily.
“It’s very disappointing that FIFA hasn’t really even acknowledged or given
us any response to our statement,” Morgan told The Equalizer in September.
“It seems like CSA and FIFA are kind of playing the blaming game. So we
would like some sort of response and some sort of explanation, because I
feel like it is taking a step backwards so hopefully we get the explanation
sooner rather than later.”
Players have said that they will not boycott the World Cup.
A FIFA distributed survey from 2013 showed that 77 percent of players
prefer the World Cup to be on natural grass.
Every men’s World Cup since 1930 has been played on natural grass. Youth
World Cups, including the 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup in August in
Canada. The lawsuit points out that FIFA spent $2 million to install natural
grass over artificial turf in Detroit and New Jersey for the 1994 men’s World
Cup.
Hampton Dellinger, an attorney representing the players, released the
following statement on Wednesday afternoon:
“Two months ago, attorneys for a coalition of leading players informed
officials from the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) and FIFA that forcing
the 2015 women’s World Cup to take place on artificial turf rather than grass
was not only wrong but also constituted illegal sex discrimination. Men’s
World Cup tournament matches are played on natural grass while CSA and
FIFA are relegating female players to artificial turf. The difference matters:
plastic pitches alter how the game is played, pose unique safety risks and are
considered inferior for international competition.
Through public statements and private communications the players and their
lawyers have clearly signaled to CSA and FIFA that we want to resolve the
‘turf war’ through good faith negotiations rather than litigation. CSA and
FIFA have ignored these overtures. As a result, the players have no choice
but to initiate the legal action filed today. Whatever happens in court, CSA
and FIFA have lost any claim to being good stewards of the women’s game
— until they correct their mistake.
After the spectacular success of World Cup 2011 and the 2012 Olympics,
CSA and FIFA could help women’s soccer reach even greater heights.
Instead, the leaders of CSA and FIFA are embarrassing the game and, even
more, themselves. The gifted athletes we represent are determined not to
have the sport they love be belittled on their watch. Getting an equal playing
field at the World Cup is a fight female players should not have to wage but
one from which they do not shrink. In the end, we trust that fairness and
equality will prevail over sexism and stubbornness.”
EXHIBIT J
FORBES MAGAZINE
Full article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2014/10/22/buyersremorse-surfacing-over-artificial-turf-fields/
Oct 22, 2014 @ 11:20 AM 10,162 views
Buyer’s Remorse Surfacing Over
Artificial Turf Fields
Mike Ozanian Forbes Staff “Traffic cop at the intersection of money and sports”
Companies that make and install artificial turf fields market the
long-term “cost savings” of using their plastic, cork and rubber
product compared with natural grass. The artificial stuff requires
less maintenance and can be used more than grass, or so the theory
goes.
But all across the U.S. towns and schools that have replaced their
grass fields with artificial turf are finding out the hard way that
the plastic stuff doesn’t always last as long as advertised.
Says Michael Tarantino, director of maintenance and operations
for Poway Unified School District, and an at-large director for the
Sports Turf Managers Association, “I think you are seeing buyers
remorse of artificial turf fields because communities quickly lose
sight of the replacement costs associated with artificial turf. You
wouldn’t use artificial turn from an ROI (return on investment)
point of view.”
EXHIBIT K
From Falcon on Line, Sarasota, FL
Full article:
http://www.saratogafalcon.org/content/are-artificial-turf-fields-carcinogenic
Excerpt 1
Matthew Hagemann, a certified hydrogeologist and former director of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s West Coast Superfund program,
said in an online report that this cancer risk is twice as high as the cancer
risk experienced by someone living adjacent to the Chevron Richmond
refinery, a manufacturer of petroleum products and other chemicals
“A child playing on SBR crumb rubber as few as 30 times per year would
experience a cancer risk of 19 per million — almost 20 times higher than the
CEQA significance threshold of 1 per million,” Hagemann wrote.
EXCERPT #2
The toxicologist said the 18.8 people per million statistic represented a
cancer threat similar to that perceived by a moderate smoker.
The OEHHA recognized several significant gaps in data, writing that the
risk of airborne metals and organic compounds has not been adequately
assessed. Their disputation of the 18.8 figure did not address the airborne
risk of PAH’s and other particles, and the study is far from a safe bill of
health.
With the plethora of studies in dispute, as is common in scientific process,
the research on cancer risk is far from conclusive. In the meantime, we have
put the cart before the horse: We have built these potentially toxic fields
before clearing them for safety.
There are carcinogens everywhere, the cynical argument goes. But that’s
never been a good reason to ignore risk: By that reasoning, we shouldn’t
worry about any toxins at all. These fields may present a significant cancer
risk — if Hagemann’s comments are correct, just the inhalation risk is
comparable to that of living next to a chemical refinery — and the real-life
consequences of these threats have yet to be realized.
Other countries have taken far more cautious approaches toward artificial
turfs. America, however, has forged ahead, rationalizing that because there
have been no reported cases of cancer, these fields must be safe. We are
forgetting that it takes years for cancer to develop, and decades for people to
start to realize where the cancer is coming from. Asbestos killed thousands
before proper national attention was raised. Lead, too, was widely prevalent
in paint before this country finally banned it in 1977. And it took 40 years
for people to realize that Hexavalent Chromium, Brockovich's Grendel, was
tainting water and causing cancer.
Exhibit L
Environment and Human Health, Inc.
Overview of the Risks of Synthetic Turf Fields
By David R. Brown Sc.D., Public Health Toxicologist
April 4, 2015
If one looks at the number of studies on synthetic turf fields that
have attempted to estimate the risk to young students' and athletes' from
the exposures to chemicals contained in the fields, you will see the
problem.
The findings of each of the studies are based on a startling
limited number (2 to 12) of actual samples of crumb rubber (each
weighing a no more than few ounces), on small number of fields most
without with any testing of the crumb rubber (4 to 6 fields at most). There is
no study that is comprehensive systematic assessment of the risk.
Instead, a natural experiment is being conducted in which
thousands of children are being exposed on playing fields to rubber, 1)
known to contain carcinogens and
2) documented to produce
cancer in the workers in the tire manufacturing plants.
The results of this human health experiment is to determine
whether there is enough exposure to carcinogens in the synthetic turf
fields to cause cancer in the children who play on these fields.
Now that there is strong indication that cancer has appeared in
one segment of the student groups that have played on synthetic turf,
(soccer goalies in particular as well as others) the experiment is allowed
to continue with health departments standing by until they can obtain
positively statistical confirmation of the cancer hazard.
Crumb rubber infill contains a large number of chemicals known to
be toxic to humans. These include chemicals associated with cancer,
asthma, and other adverse health effects. There is no "safe" threshold
level for exposure to carcinogens.
The only way to eliminate cancer risk from these chemicals is to
eliminate exposure. No existing study disputes the inherent hazard of
these chemicals; the studies simply draw varying conclusions regarding
the total amount that these chemicals pose to children who are likely to be
exposed when they play on the artificial turf fields.
The bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what the mix of
chemicals is in any given field containing crumb rubber made from
recycled tires. Tires themselves are manufactured with a wide variety of
chemicals. Fields may contain tires from a variety of sources, and there is
no source of information to identify exactly what chemicals, and in what
quantity, are present in any given field. No entity providing the crumb
rubber provides any quality control, identification of source, or analytical
analysis of the contents of the rubber used.
Children are more susceptible than adults to a variety of
environmental hazards, for several reasons. Children's organ systems
are developing rapidly. A toxic exposure during a critical window of
development can have life-long consequences. Children's detoxification
mechanisms are also immature, so an exposure that might not have an
important effect on an adult could have an important effect on a child. In
addition, children have many years in which to develop disease.
Cancer, in particular, is a disease with long latency: disease can
develop many years after exposure. For this and other reasons, it is
particularly important to avoid carcinogenic exposures during childhood.
There has been no comprehensive assessment of the data on
cancer among athletes exposed to crumb rubber from artificial turf
exposures. However, the evidence collected to date indicates a basis for
concern and an urgent need for closer scrutiny. Most notable is that the
ratio of lymphomas and leukemia is the reverse of that expected in the
general population for that age group. Such a reverse in the pattern of
cancers present is considered a signal that an active chemical
carcinogen is present.
Given the high stakes, it is prudent to take action to protect children
from this known hazard rather than wait for definitive evidence of harm.
Thank you for your attention,
David R Brown Sc.D.
Public Health Toxicologist and Director of Public Health Toxicology for
Environment and Human Health, Inc.; Past Chief of Environmental
Epidemiology and Occupational Health at Connecticut's Department of
Health; Past Deputy Director of The Public Health Practice Group of
ATSDR at the National CentersFor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Atlanta, Georgia.
EXHIBIT M
Norwegian Institute for Water Research study: shows that artificial
turf fields leach toxic chemicals, especially zinc, into local water
resources.
Link to full study:
http://isss.de/conferences/Dresden%202006/Technical/NIVA%20E
ngelsk.pdf
Summary
An Assessment of environmental risk linked to run-off from artificial turf
pitches has been carried out on the basis of studies of the concentration of
hazardous substances in materials used in artificial turf pitches and their
potential for leaching into water. The risk assessment was carried out in
accordance with standard procedures for the risk assessment of chemicals
within the EU. The results show that there is a risk of environmental effects
in small recipients which receive surface run-off from artificial turf pitches.
The factor which contributes most to the environmental risk is zinc,
butalkylphenols, and octylphenol in particular, are also predicted an
additional contribution to the environmental risk.
The concentrations of chemicals in run-off from artificial turf pitches are
predicted to decrease slowly so that environmental effects may occur over
many years. The total quantities of hazardous substances which are leached
from an artificial turf pitch are however modest, so that environmental
effects will be localized.
.
NATURAL GRASS
TURF FIELDS
EXHIBIT N
http://www.redhenturf.com/Sport_featuresBenefitsNatu
ral.htm
Features and Benefits of
natural grass sports
fields: FEATURES
1. Environmentally friendly. 2,500 square
feet of living, growing grass plants
release enough oxygen for a family of
four for a year. Grass absorbs carbon
dioxide, helping to reduce global warming.
2. Microorganism utopia. Grass and the
topsoil are home to zillions of beneficial
organisms that break down and recycle
organic and inorganic products that fall
into the grass.
3. Aquifer recharger. The area inside a
typical high school football/track complex
is about 2 acres. Over 2 million gallons
of water from rain will fall on this area if
it rains 40 inches a year. Grass will
filter the water as it flows into the
groundwater.
4. Cooler surface. Grass provides a cooler
place to play than bare dirt, cement,
asphalt or artificial turf. This occurs
because the photosynthetic process in the
leaves intercepts sunlight, utilizing the
sun's energy to make plant sugars instead
of warming the dirt or other surface. Plants
evaporate water, which also cools the air.
5. Clean surface Grass roots, thatch and
leaves provide a good, clean surface to
run and play on.
6. Better appearance. The visual
appearance and smell of grass are
pleasing to people.
7. Fewer health risks. Years of study have
shown no risks to playing on natural turf.
No such proof exists from long-term
exposure to elements in artificial turf, such
as crumb rubber infill.
BENEFITS of natural
grass sports fields:
1. Recycles. Because grass has
microorganisms, it is an excellent
recycling center. Tree leaves, sputum,
gum, candy, vomit, urine, soda, spilled
food, sports drinks, bird droppings, animal
manure, and bits of paper do not have to
be picked up off a natural grass field, unlike
on a artificial sports field, which saves on
labor costs. Human diseases like MRSA
that are transferred from a player to the
grass are naturally disinfected. Grass
fields do not need disinfecting.
2. Self-repairs. Natural grass fields repair
themselves. All sports fields sustain wear
and damage when used. Living natural
grass fields have the ability to repair and
regenerate themselves. Man-made
surfaces do not repair themselves. Natural
grass fields can last two to three times
longer than artificial fields.
3. Provides traction. Grass gives good
traction, but not great traction. Good
traction means when players collide, the
turf gives way, not human joints. Great
traction is bad, because joints can break
before a player's foot slides on artificial turf.
4. Costs less to remove. End-of-life disposal
costs of natural grass are a small fraction of
what it costs to remove and dispose of
artificial turf.
EXHIBIT O
University of Arkansas Report on Turf
Grass Science
Note: This is a concise report, offered on-line as a pdf. As a
decision maker, we think you will find this report essential and full
of good information.
Full report:
http://turf.uark.edu/turfhelp/archives/021109.ht
ml
ADDENDUM
YouTube Videos about synthetic turf:
Bill Crain Speaks about Synthetic Turf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pud7WFZr65o
Guive Mirfendereski speaks about Synthetic Turf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKbymSAcTkM&feature=
related
San Francisco's Synthetic Playfields: A Question of Ingestion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zsodulEmz0&feature=rela
ted
Synthetic Fields - ABC News
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PQCpKmw0pA&feature=
related
San Francisco's Artificial Playfields - Synthetic Turf & Skin
Infections
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQvj3F2Zg6k&feature=rel
ated
Synthetic Fields - A Question of Infection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz3laIdWut4&feature=relat
ed
Dr. Maida Galvez on Plastics and Childhood Exposure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGjpjloiD34&feature=relat
ed
Dr. Philip Landrigan on Lead Exposure Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1asZ_v2hrk&feature=rela
ted
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v6cruHHSGE&feature=re
lated
Save Your Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFhWHlV-My8