Decisions are being made on misinformation & inaccurate studies - EPA, CPSC have not concluded safety of artificial turf even WITHOUT recycled tire crumb!

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Image from ehhi.org's synthetic turf report.


It is a misconception that LGUSD has adequately addressed safety concerns by proposing to use an artificial turf system with an alternative infill to recycled tire crumb.  

CA Dept of Toxic Substances Control is not yet ready to conclude artificial turf is non-toxic even if consumers use a version without recycled tires in it. The department is currently working on an evaluation.

The information below remains true for artificial turf installations both with and without recycled tire crumb infill.

Safe Healthy Playing Fields, Inc. (SHPFI) reports "The fact is, no government agency has concluded artificial turf is safe - not the Environmental Protection Agency nor the Consumer Product Safety Comission.  Only the industry which gains financially from your use of these fields has paid consultants to conclude safety from very limited, inconclusive tests. There are no tests showing synturf is safe. There are only tests that cannot prove that it will give you cancer. In addition, the EPA, CPSC and CDC each warn players to take precautions when using AT fields.  State and local entities are deciding to postpone or abort artificial turf to invest in properly build, properly maintained grass fields instead."

SHPFI cautions decision makers:

  • "Industry claims that government find synthetic turf safe. Not so."
  • "The original CPSC study was extremely limited."
  • "Absence of convincing safety evidence."
  • "Don't rely on faulty studies to make decisions."
  • "Always look at the source of a study."
  • "Look out for reports based on incomplete studies in industry marketing."
  • "See what changes are happening on the federal level."