“We, members of the Board of Directors and Staff of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group (MVSG, the undersigned), feel it is our duty to discuss just one of the potential negative and irreversible environmental consequences of the 2.7-acre synthetic field being proposed by the MVRHS and Huntress Associates. We want you to know that microplastic contamination of the shellfish beds of the Vineyard could change the fabric of our community.”
Read More“Below is a catalog of questions raised in the written testimony of experts, environmental leaders and community members that have not been adequately addressed in the Applicant’s proposal documents or MVC Staff Report thus far, but, as we are sure you will agree, are critical to the decision-making process.”
Read More“As a body charged with administering the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the safeguarding of related natural resources, the Commission has grave concerns about the long-term risks of this installation, its maintenance and its ultimate disposal.”
Read More“HBN recommends choosing natural grass over synthetic turf. Synthetic turf carpet, infill, and shock pads can contain hazardous chemicals. Hazardous chemicals may also be used during production, installation, and maintenance of these fields. Natural grass fields avoid the introduction of hazardous chemicals into the environment via the turf carpet and infill, and prevent microplastic pollution resulting from synthetic turf, which is a growing environmental concern. High quality fields can be achieved on natural grass without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.”
Read More“Given that a single oyster can filter up approximately 7.08 liters per hour, microplastics can be readily ingested by oysters because of their size. As such, microplastics threaten the values of oysters socially, economically, and environmentally. I urge your committee to take plastic pollution (and its impact on not only a local fishery, but also a business) into consideration when reviewing this proposal.”
Read MoreHuntress-made guarantees about end-of-life for field called into question
Read More"It should not be this difficult for stakeholders to obtain basic verifiable information regarding real recycling versus rumors of recycling. Real recycling requires a process which is proven, practical, makes sense from a cost perspective and carbon emissions standpoint, and produces a scalable and functional product. Again, all recycling claims for this project must be carefully reviewed."
Read More“PFAS chemicals are so problematic to human beings and the environment that they are measured in parts per trillion (ppt). Most chemicals are measured in parts per million or less. It is important to note that in December 2019, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection adopted a final groundwater enforcement standard of 20 ppt. A synthetic turf field, alone, may cause PFAS readings to exceed this level.”
Read More“Climate action is alive on the Island in no small part because children are demanding it to protect their climate-threatened future. Artificial turf runs counter to everything we as a community are doing to address the impacts of climate change.
Climate action includes the following: eliminating the use of greenhouse gas emitting fossil fuels and protecting the restorative values of the natural environment. Artificial turf is a step backward on both counts.”
Where do the millions of square feet of synthetic turf go to die?
The answer: The same place scrap tires went before—to landfills, rural and urban stockpiles, and “ravines, deserts, woods, and empty lots,” according to a FairWarning investigation.
Read MoreAs fields are replaced, billions of pounds of rubber and synthetic fiber are piling up because the U.S. has no plan for disposing of this product.
Read MoreWhat happens to a 3G artificial football pitch after the millions of hours of studs and blades passing over it – turning, twisting, shooting and running – finally render these giant mats of plastic yarn, full of sand and shredded tyres, useless as a playing surface? In Norway, the answer came as a shock.
Read MorePublic health advocates have long raised alarms about artificial turf pellets, which simulate the give of natural grass but have been shown to contain benzene, cadmium, and other known carcinogens. Now, for the first time, a new series of tests has found that the blades, and their plastic backing, may also contain toxic chemicals.
The test results showed that the turf contained elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals known as PFAS, which have been linked to kidney cancer, low infant birth weights, and a range of diseases. The findings have raised concerns about the safety of millions of square feet of artificial turf installed in recent years on public fields and playgrounds across the country.
Read More“Turf outweighed all other mechanisms of injury, including helmet-to-helmet and grass. Almost 90% of all injuries occurred on turf-based surfaces, according to Burkhart. ‘You can exponentially see the difference in terms of the amount of injuries occurring on turf versus anywhere else,’ he said. ‘While we’ve done a great job in terms of educating athletes and reducing the number of helmet-to-helmet concussions, you can see that turf drastically outweighs others as the mechanism of injury.”
Read More“Synturf removal contractors may tell clients the material will be recycled. That is factually inaccurate. There is no facility in all of North America that is recycling synthetic turf back into synthetic turf or any other product. A single facility, in Denmark, is the only one that is actually set up to do so -- even the synturf industry trade group concedes this. In addition there is no known pipeline of any North American-based used synturf being sent to the Danish facility. What is called “recycling” is just finding a place to park the materials, which continue to contaminate the air, soil and water as they disintegrate into plastic debris, dust and micro-debris.”
Read More"None of this fits with Vancouver’s ambition to be the Greenest City, or with the overarching need to protect the environment and deal with the climate emergency. There are climate impacts to consider: synthetic turf is a Lifecycle GHG Emitter of 108.2 tons CO2 equivalent over 10 years compared to a grass sport field that acts like a carbon sink to remove and store 16.9 tons CO2 equivalent over the same period. In addition, living grass can remove pollutants from the air, cool the playing surface and air above, and filter rainwater, all of which help in the fight against climate change."
Read MoreConclusion: Artificial turf is an important risk factor for specific knee ligament injuries in NCAA football. Injury rates for PCL tears were significantly increased during competitions played on artificial turf as compared with natural grass. Lower NCAA divisions (II and III) also showed higher rates of ACL injuries during competitions on artificial turf versus natural grass.
Read More“CSA and FIFA’s decision to hold the [2014 Women’s World Cup] on artificial turf is inherently discriminatory and injures an elite group of female athletes in three significant ways: (1) by forcing them to compete on a surface that fundamentally alters the way the game is played, (2) by subjecting them to unique and serious risks of injury, and (3) by devaluing their dignity, state of mind and self-respect as a result of requiring them to play on a second-class surface before tens of thousands of stadium spectators and a global broadcast audience.”
Read MoreFLIR thermal image of plastic field in Washington, D.C. @1:30pm, June 17, 2019
Air Temp: low 90s; partly to mostly cloudy
Grass Temp: 90s
Field Temp: 140s/150s
