Letter to the Editor: The Cost of Synthetic Turf

This letter to the editor was written by Marianna Bracco. Her opinion does not reflect those at Patch.

Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of miles of grass has been replaced with a green carpet called synthetic turf. 

Why? Because you don’t have to cut, water, fertilize or paint the white playing field lines. Aside from the health risks — I outlined them in a — consider these bullet points which were taken from news articles written across America:

• Rockets’ Red Glare No More: Fireworks and synthetic turf don’t mix. Synthetic turf is a fire hazard. Will Rockville Centre be able to continue to celebrate 4th of July at Mill River given the proposed turf fields?
• A Vandals Canvas: Razor blades, graffiti and arsonists cause millions of dollars of damage each year to turf fields at the tax payers expense.
• It Costs Real Green to Protect Fake Grass: Will we need to invest in surveillance cameras to protect our green carpet? Hire more police?
• Keep Out: Before, residents had free rein over the fields, now it will have to be kept under lock and key which often means a 25-foot fence. Some towns have even resorted to barbed wire. Before, an impromptu catch or an extra practice session was no issue. Now with synthetics you will most likely need written permission, in advance.
• Here Today, Never Gone Tomorrow: Remember that crumb rubber tire infill is too toxic to dump which is why they initially started recycling the tires. How much will it cost to remove and how much will we have to pay for a landfill to accept it?  And what will we put in its place?  Will the soil be too toxic to convert back to natural grass?  Are we forever married to plastic?
• Help is NOT on the way: Paramedics, ambulances, fire trucks will not be able to drive onto the field since it would damage the turf. And along those lines...
• Protect the Turf, Forget the People: Chewing gum, drinking gatorade, all hazardous to the turf and expensive to repair. Goose poop, once an annoyance, now a cost since it too damages the turf.
• Bring the Ice Cooler For Your Feet: With the increase of heat waves and the significantly higher temperatures on turf, some athletes have resorted to soaking their feet in coolers to prevent burns.

Before our town participates in this mindless proliferation of synthetic turf, consider one last point. If synthetic turf was truly cheaper than natural grass, then why would the Nassau Interim Finance Authority reject the installation of additional fields in Nassau County? Perhaps, they understand the unrealistic projections of additional revenue from increased utilization or understand the hidden additional costs that are not often considered for a limited lifespan product.

Don't be fooled:  Synthetic turf is not maintenance free and it is not cheaper than natural grass. People move to Long Island for a backyard, trees and green space. Why then would we convert our best selling asset to a green carpet that requires more maintenance than a Persian silk rug? 

Just because everyone is doing it, does not make it the smart choice.