SSC campaign for natural grass athletic field at SHS
In October 2019 the Sharon School Committee requested installation of an artificial turf field at the Sharon High School football field. Sustainable Sharon Coalition strongly opposed his installation because of numerous environmental, health, and safety concerns that are summarized below. SSC also recommended the use of organically maintained natural turf for the football field.
PFAS: Synthetic turf contains toxic chemicals, including per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of compounds that includes over 4,000 chemicals. PFAS are a particular health threat, as they are highly persistent “forever chemicals” that never fully degrade and accumulate in our bodies and the environment. Levels of PFAS are measured in parts per trillion, and are linked to increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis and high serum cholesterol levels.
As reported in The Intercept, the administration at the time in Washington D.C. was silencing the dissemination of new research showing that low levels of PFAS can cause human disease. Linda Birnbaum, the National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences Director retired early, and called on engaged citizens to work to ensure our government officials pass health-protective policies based on the best available scientific evidence.
Plastic: Synthetic turf is made of polyethylene, 40,000 lbs of it, which is equivalent to 3.3 million shopping bags! Over its 8 year lifespan more than 5,000 lbs of that plastic break off, due to constant exposure to sunlight, together with wear and tear due to trampling. These plastic fragments are blown by the wind to surrounding wetlands, lake and woods, and are broken down further to microplastic. After 8 years, the plastic turf carpet must go to a landfill, or be incinerated, at substantial cost.
The SHS field is adjacent to wetlands and drains into the lake. The site of the proposed artificial turf field is over and immediately adjacent to a wetland that is regulated by the Sharon Conservation Commission under Sharon’s Wetland Bylaw and Wetlands Rules and Regulations, and the MA Department of Environmental Protection under the state Wetlands Protection Act and Regulations. The groundwater from the football field flows directly to three municipal wells that in 2018 provided 62% of our town’s drinking water! This poses a real danger of contaminating our drinking water with PFAS, toxins and microplastics.
Our first initiative was to send a 5-page, referenced letter to the Standing Building Committee and Conservation Commission, as both committees had not yet voted on the artificial turf issue. In response to our concerns about artificial turf, the Standing Building Committee hired an outside consultant, David Teter, to report on the environmental and health concerns, especially in terms of the PFAS found in turf. David Teter presented a report to the Standing Building Committee in January of 2020. His report was based on a very limited analysis of a small number of older PFAS chemicals and outdated information concerning the presence of PFAS in turf. Teter’s report did not allay our concerns. SSC Board Members, Debbie Tatro and Bri McAlvey, presented the arguments against artificial turf installation, including concerns with the limitations of the testing reported by David Teter.
The MA Chapter of the Sierra Club and Mount Sinai’s Children’s Environmental Health Center provided letters supporting our concern with artificial turf.
On May 2, 2020, the Town of Sharon Conservation Commission voted 5 to 2 to reject installation of artificial turf at Sharon High School, helping to protect our lake, wetlands, and drinking water.
