QUESTION FAKE GRASS in LGUSD.

Share your input with the decision-makers, the LGUSD Board of Trustees. Images from lgusd.org Implore LGUSD to do these 2 things: Keep artificial turf OFF elementary school campuses ENTIRELY. Rescind the conclusion from the November 2021 district staff report that artificial turf is safe for use on school campuses.  This conclusion can not be drawn from the evidence available.  There remain an abundance of serious causes for concern.  Even California's Department of Toxic Substances Control is questioning the safety of artificial turf including versions NOT made with recycled tires researching artificial turf as part of its 2021-2023 Priority Product Work Plan. LGUSD has NOT sufficiently addressed artificial turf safety concerns by proposing to use a version made without recycled tires. Take action here .

Image from ptbe.org LGUSD district management staff hosted a community forum on 11-08-21 to share the landscape design plans they plan to present to the LGUSD Board of Trustees for approval at the upcoming 11-18-21 school board meeting.   Despite being in-person-only and held during hours when a number of parents who had expressed wanting to attend regretfully could not, the meeting was very well-attended by upwards of 70 community members.  Of the attendees who offered public comment, there was nearly-unanimous support for keeping artificial turf off LGUSD campuses.   Encouraging news was announced at this meeting:   District management staff now plan to propose to the Board of Trustees that natural grass be selected for the elementary school play fields!   HOWEVER , here's why it's not time to hang your hat:   District management staff are NOT the decision makers.  The decision will come from the school board. The district management staff recommen...

Image from  forceofnatureclean.com In this educational seminar "Testing for Chemicals of Concern in Synthetic Turf" , David Teter ( the consultant LGUSD's landscape designer brought to the 11/8/21 LGUSD-hosted Town Hall to  assert the safety  of artificial turf ) concludes: "Organic infill products made from coconut fiber/peat and rice husks are inconsistent with regards to the leaching of heavy metals and SVOCs. Some of these organic infills leached more heavy metals (arsenic, cobalt, hexavalent chromium, lead, and nickel) and SVOCs than crumb rubber." LGUSD has eschewed crumb rubber in its proposed artificial turf system because of the widely-recognized concerns with it.  So how can LGUSD conclude plant-based infills are safe?

Image from LGUSD slide presentation. Rather than go hunting through various emails to try to find the full set of docs shared by the district , you can find them all aggregated at https://bit.ly/lgusdturf    Pros / Cons of Synthetic Turf (the landscape designer's assessment) FAQ Regarding Landscape Upgrades Outdoor Classrooms and Campus Landscaping Update (11/3/21 version) Outdoor Classrooms and Campus Landscaping Update ( new content 11/8/21 ) To get familiar with the scope, costs, and consequences of the LGUSD's ORIGINAL landscaping proposal, view this original flyer  we created before district-hosted Town Hall Meeting . Go here for a recap of the Town Hall Meeting.