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JULY 24, 2020 UPDATE
For reasons related to health and safety, we have decided to appeal the Planning and Zoning's (TPZ's) July 13, 2020 decision to approve the Special Exception Permit that allows Amity to begin immediate construction of the artificial turf field with crumb tire rubber infill at Amity High School. As such, ALL monies donated to the GoFundMe will be used to pay the attorney to A) file the appeal and B) continue the appeals process, which will likely take more than a year.
We will continue to keep the petition open for Woodbridge residents to sign AND to keep the GoFundMe running for anyone who wishes to contribute. The attorney anticipates his fees for the TOTAL APPEALS PROCESS will be roughly $9,000 over the course of 12+ months. More details forthcoming.
Petition: Support 3-Year Moratorium on Artificial Turf Field at Amity HS to Address Health Concern: https://www.change.org/Moratorium_Artificial_Turf_Field_Amity.
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In a few short weeks construction of Amity High School’s $2+ million artificial turf field with "crumb" car tire rubber infill is scheduled to commence in Woodbridge, Connecticut. A large number of residents are asking our officials for a 3-year moratorium on the construction of this field so that citizens and officials have time to assess the many health risks associated it, including the confirmed presence of lead, arsenic, and chromium (1), which are human carcinogens, and PFAS chemicals, which are linked to everything from testicular and kidney cancer, to thyroid disruption, to immune system disruption (2 & 3). PFAS spread easily, and can contaminate ground and drinking water (6), a terrifying prospect in a town that relies heavily on well water.
With the construction date closing in, and no testing having been performed on either the plastic grass and turf backing to detect the 176 new toxic PFAS chemicals that were added in 2020 to the EPA’s Toxics Health Registry [4] OR on the crumb tire rubber for neurotoxins like lead, which the installing company, FieldTurf, admitted under oath, is in the infill [5]), we have decided to hire an attorney to ensure that our administrators understand that we as a community prioritize our health, and reject a field that has not been proven safe for anyone, let alone our children (1).
We are asking anyone who supports a 3-year moratorium on the installation of the artificial turf field to help pay for attorney fees in the event that Woodbridge Planning and Zoning (TPZ) approves the application for a Special Exception Permit to begin construction of the artificial turf field. If the event that the TPZ denies the application and we do not need to appeal, all donated monies will be refunded.
If you value clean well water, and want to ensure that the equivalent of 40,000 used tires (7) and unnecessary PFAS stay out of Woodbridge, we ask that you please contribute any amount you are able. We are s committed but small group of organizers, and we cannot fight this battle without help. We have the opportunity to ensure the health and safety of our children and drinking water by testing for chemicals before the artificial turf field is installed. Let's take a pause and make sure that we are not doing anything we’ll regret. Other communities are requiring independent 3rd party testing of their turf products for toxins like lead and PFAS along with a $50,000 bond to ensure that the field is fully recycled with chain-of-custody in the contract with their turf vendors. We need to ensure our administrators do the same for us.
Thank you for your support.
SOURCES:
1. Position Statement on the Use of Recycled Tires in Artificial Turf Surfaces from the epidemiologists, scientists, and pediatricians at The Children’s Environmental Health Center at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2018/KIDdata/Tmy/2018HB-05188-R000227-Mount%20Sinai%20Children%27s%20Environmental%20Health%20Center-TMY.PDF
2. “Basic Information on PFAS from the EPA”
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas
3. “PFAS may have a lot in common with carcinogens”
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pfas-may-have-a-lot-in-common-with-carcinogens
4. Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program, List of PFAS Added to the TRI by the NDAA
https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/list-pfas-added-tri-ndaa
EPA has added an additional 176 PFAS chemicals to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), which will require users and manufacturers of these chemicals to report to the EPA and state their pollution control measures. Reporting forms for these PFAS will be due to EPA by July 1, 2021. Currently organizations do not disclose PFAS chemicals claiming proprietary information, therefore limiting the public from knowing if the products they are using are one of the thousands of dangerous PFAS/PFOS, C8, or Genx chemicals used by DuPont and 3M since the 1950s. Currently synthetic turf companies only test for 29 PFAS chemicals, which means the public does not really known if their products are PFAS-free.
Fortunately, many companies are now limiting and eliminating PFAS from their products. GoreTex completely eliminated PFAS chemicals from all raw materials and no longer uses these chemicals. Major retailer are also joining the ban: https://retailerreportcard.com/2019/11/executive-summary-2019/
5. Field Turf admits lead in its product but opposes signs to inform the public
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHpzL9Y7YQw
6. Information on Artificial Turf and PFAS from The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts
file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/TURI%20fact%20sheet%20-%20PFAS%20in%20artificial%20turf%20(17).pdf
7. This number is cited by many reputable sources, including The Children’s Environmental Health Network:
https://cehn.org/crumb-rubber-artificial-turf/
8. After speaking with numerous attorneys, we chose Mr. Ainsworth based on his 30+ years of expertise, his familiarity with specific town policies and procedures, and his demonstrated commitment to environmental conservation and remediation. At the TPZ meeting, Attorney Ainsworth will argue that artificial turf field may lead to unreasonable pollution and water contamination in town, and impairment of public trust in matters of air, water, and natural resources, especially given that there are feasible and prudent alternatives such as natural grass. If, in spite Mr. Ainsworth’s argument, the TPZ committee decides to issue a permit to the Board of Education (BOE) for the construction of the field, Mr. Ainsworth will file an appeal on our behalf, which will likely delay construction for several months.
9. July 6 Woodbridge TPZ meeting details:
https://www.woodbridgect.org/DocumentCenter/View/3260/TPZ-Hearing-Notice-for-July-6-2020-25-Newton-Road
For reasons related to health and safety, we have decided to appeal the Planning and Zoning's (TPZ's) July 13, 2020 decision to approve the Special Exception Permit that allows Amity to begin immediate construction of the artificial turf field with crumb tire rubber infill at Amity High School. As such, ALL monies donated to the GoFundMe will be used to pay the attorney to A) file the appeal and B) continue the appeals process, which will likely take more than a year.
We will continue to keep the petition open for Woodbridge residents to sign AND to keep the GoFundMe running for anyone who wishes to contribute. The attorney anticipates his fees for the TOTAL APPEALS PROCESS will be roughly $9,000 over the course of 12+ months. More details forthcoming.
Petition: Support 3-Year Moratorium on Artificial Turf Field at Amity HS to Address Health Concern: https://www.change.org/Moratorium_Artificial_Turf_Field_Amity.
-----------
In a few short weeks construction of Amity High School’s $2+ million artificial turf field with "crumb" car tire rubber infill is scheduled to commence in Woodbridge, Connecticut. A large number of residents are asking our officials for a 3-year moratorium on the construction of this field so that citizens and officials have time to assess the many health risks associated it, including the confirmed presence of lead, arsenic, and chromium (1), which are human carcinogens, and PFAS chemicals, which are linked to everything from testicular and kidney cancer, to thyroid disruption, to immune system disruption (2 & 3). PFAS spread easily, and can contaminate ground and drinking water (6), a terrifying prospect in a town that relies heavily on well water.
With the construction date closing in, and no testing having been performed on either the plastic grass and turf backing to detect the 176 new toxic PFAS chemicals that were added in 2020 to the EPA’s Toxics Health Registry [4] OR on the crumb tire rubber for neurotoxins like lead, which the installing company, FieldTurf, admitted under oath, is in the infill [5]), we have decided to hire an attorney to ensure that our administrators understand that we as a community prioritize our health, and reject a field that has not been proven safe for anyone, let alone our children (1).
We are asking anyone who supports a 3-year moratorium on the installation of the artificial turf field to help pay for attorney fees in the event that Woodbridge Planning and Zoning (TPZ) approves the application for a Special Exception Permit to begin construction of the artificial turf field. If the event that the TPZ denies the application and we do not need to appeal, all donated monies will be refunded.
If you value clean well water, and want to ensure that the equivalent of 40,000 used tires (7) and unnecessary PFAS stay out of Woodbridge, we ask that you please contribute any amount you are able. We are s committed but small group of organizers, and we cannot fight this battle without help. We have the opportunity to ensure the health and safety of our children and drinking water by testing for chemicals before the artificial turf field is installed. Let's take a pause and make sure that we are not doing anything we’ll regret. Other communities are requiring independent 3rd party testing of their turf products for toxins like lead and PFAS along with a $50,000 bond to ensure that the field is fully recycled with chain-of-custody in the contract with their turf vendors. We need to ensure our administrators do the same for us.
Thank you for your support.
SOURCES:
1. Position Statement on the Use of Recycled Tires in Artificial Turf Surfaces from the epidemiologists, scientists, and pediatricians at The Children’s Environmental Health Center at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2018/KIDdata/Tmy/2018HB-05188-R000227-Mount%20Sinai%20Children%27s%20Environmental%20Health%20Center-TMY.PDF
2. “Basic Information on PFAS from the EPA”
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas
3. “PFAS may have a lot in common with carcinogens”
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pfas-may-have-a-lot-in-common-with-carcinogens
4. Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program, List of PFAS Added to the TRI by the NDAA
https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/list-pfas-added-tri-ndaa
EPA has added an additional 176 PFAS chemicals to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), which will require users and manufacturers of these chemicals to report to the EPA and state their pollution control measures. Reporting forms for these PFAS will be due to EPA by July 1, 2021. Currently organizations do not disclose PFAS chemicals claiming proprietary information, therefore limiting the public from knowing if the products they are using are one of the thousands of dangerous PFAS/PFOS, C8, or Genx chemicals used by DuPont and 3M since the 1950s. Currently synthetic turf companies only test for 29 PFAS chemicals, which means the public does not really known if their products are PFAS-free.
Fortunately, many companies are now limiting and eliminating PFAS from their products. GoreTex completely eliminated PFAS chemicals from all raw materials and no longer uses these chemicals. Major retailer are also joining the ban: https://retailerreportcard.com/2019/11/executive-summary-2019/
5. Field Turf admits lead in its product but opposes signs to inform the public
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHpzL9Y7YQw
6. Information on Artificial Turf and PFAS from The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts
file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/TURI%20fact%20sheet%20-%20PFAS%20in%20artificial%20turf%20(17).pdf
7. This number is cited by many reputable sources, including The Children’s Environmental Health Network:
https://cehn.org/crumb-rubber-artificial-turf/
8. After speaking with numerous attorneys, we chose Mr. Ainsworth based on his 30+ years of expertise, his familiarity with specific town policies and procedures, and his demonstrated commitment to environmental conservation and remediation. At the TPZ meeting, Attorney Ainsworth will argue that artificial turf field may lead to unreasonable pollution and water contamination in town, and impairment of public trust in matters of air, water, and natural resources, especially given that there are feasible and prudent alternatives such as natural grass. If, in spite Mr. Ainsworth’s argument, the TPZ committee decides to issue a permit to the Board of Education (BOE) for the construction of the field, Mr. Ainsworth will file an appeal on our behalf, which will likely delay construction for several months.
9. July 6 Woodbridge TPZ meeting details:
https://www.woodbridgect.org/DocumentCenter/View/3260/TPZ-Hearing-Notice-for-July-6-2020-25-Newton-Road
Organizer and beneficiary
Max Silverstein
Beneficiary