A Call for Safer Playing Fields at Pleasantville’s Schools is Prudent
By Matthew K. Finkelstein, Esq. and Alicia (Aliki) Samios, Esq.
The Pleasantville Union Free School District is in the process of replacing the synthetic turf fields at Bedford Road School (BRS) and at the high school track, which have been in place for over 10 years and are degrading.
These fields consist of a “carpet” of fake grass blades propped up by a “crumb rubber” infill made from tons of shredded used tires. Independent scientists have identified 60 compounds that may be present in crumb rubber. Among these are carcinogens, endocrine (hormone) disruptors and heavy metals that cause developmental delays. Used tires are not permitted as regular waste in a landfill due to their toxicity. Why should our children be playing on, rolling around on and breathing in these toxic chemicals when there is an alternative?
Ask anyone who has played on these fields on a hot sunny day; they smell like plastic because the turf heats up and off-gasses many of the compounds contained in the crumb rubber and carpet. In fact, the air above synthetic turf fields is up to 30 degrees hotter than air above natural grass fields.
Children have higher rates of respiration and higher metabolic rates than adults so they are particularly vulnerable to the off-gassing of chemicals. They are unable to regulate their body heat the same way adults do, and are more susceptible to dehydration, exhaustion, heat stress and heat stroke. We have had cases of dehydration on our fields. Leading health experts from Yale University and Mount Sinai Hospital warn that children playing on these fields have greater cancer risks.
As reported in last week’s Examiner, we addressed these concerns at the last school board meeting held on Nov. 4. While we appreciate that the district intends to explore other less toxic infill options, crumb rubber will still be included in the bid specifications. The district also appears unwilling to even consider grass fields, even at BRS, where our youngest and most vulnerable children play.
We understand that the voters were “told” in the spring prior to the bond vote that the fields would remain synthetic, but there has been a flood of new information reported by NBC, ABC and other mainstream news outlets on the dangers associated with synthetic turf. Eight state legislators have introduced a bill in the Assembly calling for a moratorium on the installation of crumb rubber turf and a public health study. Some schools have changed their planned installation, and there is still time for our community to make a better choice.
We believe that professional grade, properly drained and maintained grass fields could support the sports needs of our community at a lower overall cost over the next 15 years. We are certain that a grass field at BRS could handle the “light footprints” that our little ones make. Any increased maintenance costs may be more than offset by the lower installation costs and the longer useful life associated with grass fields.
We are petitioning the school board and Superintendent Mary Fox-Alter to replace the field at BRS with grass, to consider and explore professional grade grass fields at the high school, and at a minimum, to ensure that the least toxic alternative infill and carpet is installed and that they are independently verified and exceed the state’s “brownfields standards.”
Please sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/safer-sports-fields-at-our-schools. Please also visit the Pleasantville PACT Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pleasantville-PACT-Parents-Advocating-Clean-TurfGrass/357213201121566, which contains links to articles, videos and studies upon which this editorial is based.
Matthew L. Finkelstein and Alicia (Aliki) Samios are Pleasantville residents and the parents of a five-year-old daughter who is in kindergarten at Bedford Road School.
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