Patch Letter: VSC 'Debunks' Artificial Turf Myths

VERNON, CT — The Vernon Soccer Club is in favor of the plan to install artificial turf at the Rockville High School stadium field.

Here are a few thoughts to debunk myths about artificial turf:

1: In our opinion one cannot compare the field an NFL athlete plays on versus RHS. Natural turf requires daily upkeep that is not possible for a municipality to accomplish. There are full field crews that are dedicated to repairing natural NFL turf after every event. The sod is often replaced multiple times a playing season. Comparisons of injures to professional players playing on professional fields vs that of high school athletes are not comparable. This push is championed by the National Sports Turf Managers Association. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand why that would be the case.

2. There is simply no safety or health risk that has ever been proven in all the years of this product's use. In fact, the product being used for our RHS project is tested. Listed from within the article: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that current information from a number of tire crumb studies (that so many are worried about) does not show an elevated health risk from playing on fields with artificial turf or tire crumbs. These studies include a 2010 Connecticut Department of Public Health study that was published in 2011.

3. In terms of failures of the turf referenced in Guilford and any other lawsuits referenced by the opposition, I challenge you to locate. It is due to a faulty shock pad installation. It is the No. 1 reason for artificial turf failure and replacements. The use of crumb rubber as an underlayment eliminates the need to use a shock pad and eliminates the “field failure” scenario you are mis-educating people on. That example and what is being specked for this project are not the same. It is like saying lead paint is dangerous when you do not have an older home with lead paint. How is pad failure and this article relevant to this project when there is no pad being used? The installer selected has a 100 percent record of success and turns away work specking pads due to their failure. Every other project they have completed (the list is vast) is happy with the outcome, even years later.

4. There are a number of ways to reuse or recycle artificial turf that do not include landfills. The manufacturer selected makes "infill" sold from reclaimed turf, which keeps the turf out of landfills along with some other programs. Turf is often resold to third parties (ex. indoor facilities, batting cages, southern residential homeowners, etc) even after it is over 10 years old. Turf is also commonly used at playgrounds and schools in place of mulch or hard to cut grass areas, medians, etc.

Vernon Soccer Club