Breaking: "Dangerous" Artificial Turf Issue Closes Richard Montgomery High School Field

The Parents' Coalition has learned that the brand new Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf field was closed in November due to "dangerous-turf" issues.  

The Richard Montgomery High School (RMHS) replacement artificial turf field opened on August 24, 2018, and by the end of November the field was closed for "dangerous-turf" issues.  For those following the many issues surrounding the replacement of this plastic field the "dangerous-turf" issues come as no surprise.

To date, we have documented the following issues surrounding the replacement of the RMHS artificial turf field:

• In 2014, we saw that the RMHS artificial turf field was already failing.

• In 2016, the RMHS artificial turf field had failed. Yet, the Board of Education continued to keep the field open and put students on the field for athletic events. 

• MCPS did not have the RMHS plastic grass field replaced under warranty.  Instead, they allowed the defective field to be used and did not require the vendor to replace the field under warranty.  

• MCPS did not have any funding to replace the RMHS plastic grass football field.  Money was taken from the Operating Budget (teacher salaries and classroom supplies) to replace a plastic football field.  Initially, the Superintendent's office said money for new artificial turf fields was going to be used for the RMHS replacement field, but later said the money was coming from the Operating Budget.   The original MCPS-FieldTurf-County Council scheme hatched in 2011 was that the rental fees from the artificial turf fields would pay for the replacement of the fields.  Rental fees from these fields have not come anywhere close to paying for the replacement costs. 

• The Superintendent's office did not reveal the supplier of the infill for the RMHS replacement field.  Where the zeolite is mined and how it is tested is important with regard to the quality and safety of the rock, but that information was not revealed.

• The used RMHS artificial turf plastic field and the 120 tons of crumb rubber were not recycled as MCPS had promised.  Instead, the football field of plastic and 120 tons of crumb rubber were dumped in Baltimore County and in a Virginia landfill.   The Superintendent's office called the discussion of the plastic grass and 120 tons of crumb rubber pollution a "distraction from core mission." 

• The infill for the replacement RMHS plastic grass field was to be crushed volcanic rock known as zeolite.  Zeolite is commonly used as kitty litter because it is a pourous rock that absorbs moisture and odors.  Zeolite has not been evaluated for its safety as an athletic surface for children or adults.  The new RMHS plastic grass surface with the zeolite infill generated immediate complaints from athletes who said their skin was being repeatedly cut and gashed from the RMHS plastic grass surface. 

• Despite the numerous red flags and warnings concerning the Board of Education's decision to require zeolite as the infill in all MCPS plastic grass fields, the MCPS Superintendent's office continued to claim that the RMHS plastic grass would be "state of the art" and would "ensure student health and safety."

If the RMHS artificial turf replacement field is state of the art and would not harm students, why was the field closed in November, three months after installation?