FieldTurf Says Removal of RMHS Artificial Turf Involved Bad Actors, Omits They Guaranteed RMHS Field would be Recycled and Not End Up in Landfill

On Friday, March 1, 2019, the Maryland House Environmental and Transportation Committee held a hearing on House Bill 1142.  HB 1142 would seek to regulate the disposal of artificial turf.

As part of the public hearing, various people spoke about the disposal of the Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf in the summer of 2018.  The disposal of that plastic football field was documented here on the Parents' Coalition blog.  One of our members happened to see the plastic field being rolled up and loaded on to an open tractor trailer.  As the plastic and crumb rubber was driven away, crumb rubber was spilling out all over the ground and road. 

We documented the removal of the RMHS field and made the pictures public. 
Some of our pictures were used in support of House Bill 1142.

After members of the public spoke in support of the bill those that opposed the bill spoke.  One of the speakers opposing the bill was Zach Franz representing FieldTurf (video of statement below).  Mr. Franz referenced the earlier public comments about the disposal of the Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf field by saying, "some of the earlier reference bad actors that could be a subcontractor that was hired by a field owner to dispose of a field improperly."

Mr. Franz omitted that when the first FieldTurf (no bid) artificial turf fields were being installed on Montgomery County Public School fields the issue of disposal of these fields was part of the public debate.  Disposal of these fields was the topic of discussion in public meetings at the Montgomery County Council.

As a result of those discussions, FieldTurf issued the December 2009 letter shown below guaranteeing that the fields they installed in MCPS would be,

"100% recycled after its useful life is finished and will also guarantee that the field does not end up in a landfill. " 

So when the Richard Montgomery High School FieldTurf artificial turf field was removed and dumped by a river in Baltimore County and sent to a landfill in Virginia, who was the "bad actor" in that situation?

2010 Artificial Turf Purcha... by on Scribd

Exclusive: County Parks that Lost Funding to Pay for the Replacement Blair HS Artificial Turf

The artificial turf football field at Blair High School in Silver Spring failed.  The Blair football field is on M-NCPPC (Montgomery Parks) property. 

The artificial turf surface at Blair High School failed while under warranty from FieldTurf.

But, Montgomery County Parks did not replace the field under the warranty.  Instead, they bought a new field from a different company. 

Where did Montgomery County Parks get the $725,117 from to pay for this new artificial turf football field?

Everyone must already know the answer to this question because we live in award winning, transparent Montgomery County, right? 

For those that do not already know how this replacement plastic field on top of stone was funded, here is the list of Montgomery County Park projects that were deemed "not politically sensitive" and the funding for these projects was deferred by Montgomery County Parks to pay for the new Blair High School plastic football field. 

Was there any public notice or opportunity to comment for these communities?

Infield renovations at South Germantown and Ridge Road, Germantown

Fencing replacement at Sundown Road Local Park fields 1 and 2, Laytonsville

and Johnsons Local Park, Gaithersburg

6 rectangular field renovations (unknown locations)

Ridge Road Recreational Park:  Bleacher and access improvement construction, Germantown

Northwest Branch Recreational Park - irrigation, Aspen Hill

Thanks to all those "not politically sensitive" communities, Blair High School has a brand new plastic football field!  You are welcome to use it anytime!  That is, anytime you pay the rental fee.
 

Paint Branch HS & Gaithersburg HS Alert: The Latest FieldTurf Issue Is Nothing 1,000 Gallons of Glue Won’t Fix #FieldTurf #artificialturf #fooledUagain

 [This is the brand of artificial turf that was installed at Gaithersburg High School and Paint Branch High School.  You know, the old no bid favorite of the Montgomery County Council!]

...FieldTurf crews are dumping a thousand gallons of latex glue called Beybond on top of the Revolution fields. During a weeklong process, crews vacuum up all the crumb rubber and sand infill cushioning between the grass blades, pour on the glue, then re-apply the infill in layers.
FieldTurf documents sent to San Diego Unified in October 2015 by turf salesman Tim Coury blamed the issues on a polyurethane “breakdown on the backing” of the turf rolls. The topical glue remedy was described as “non-invasive,” and FieldTurf claims in the documents that testing so far indicated there was “no negative impact on drainage,” often a selling point for the company...

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/latest-fieldturf-issue-nothing-1000-gallons-glue-wont-fix/?utm_source=Voice+of+San+Diego+Master+List&utm_campaign=bea815ad5a-Morning_Report&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c2357fd0a3-bea815ad5a-84139409&goal=0_c2357fd0a3-bea815ad5a-84139409

This case concerns FieldTurf’s numerous broken promises made to their customers regarding an artificial turf product it launched in 2005, which it advertised as revolutionary and more durable than anything on the market. These were lies.

Another government body stands up to protect citizens and children from defective artificial turf.  This is the same artificial turf that is currently in use at Walter Johnson High School and Richard Montgomery High School, and was just removed from Montgomery Blair High School.

Remember in Montgomery County, MD we are progressive, and progressives do not enforce warranties or care about defective products from no bid procurements.  

   Hudson County Complaint by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Blair High School needs new artificial surface field

SILVER SPRING – Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is having Montgomery Blair High School’s artificial turf field replaced after a retest showed the field was unsafe and within a year of the end of its useful life.
John Nissel, deputy director of operations, said the warrantee for the field managed by M-NCPPC is due to expire in August.
“It’s like if you buy a car and it wears out before the warrantee; it’s certainly not what you paid for,” said Nissel, referring to the field lasting seven years and four months...

http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/newsx/local/item/4905-blair-high-school-needs-new-artificial-surface-field

Pet resort says it was duped by top U.S. artificial turf company #FieldTurf #artificialturf

The resort claims that it was deceived by false advertising claims made by FieldTurf, the leading U.S. maker of artificial turf fields, and then blamed for the product's poor performance and persuaded to buy costly maintenance.

~~~~~~~~~~

A Minnesota pet resort claims in a new lawsuit that it was deceived by false advertising claims made by the leading U.S. maker of artificial turf fields, FieldTurf, and then blamed for the product's poor performance.
The class-action suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court for Minnesota, is the fourth brought against FieldTurf since an NJ Advance Media investigation revealed that the company and its executives sold high-end turf for years after knowing it was falling apart and would fall short of advertising and marketing claims...

 http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/01/pet_care_business_says_it_was_duped_by_top_us_arti.html

Surprise! Blair HS Gets New Plastic Grass! Cost? #tonsOcash #nobid

Blazers: Our stadium is closed. Montgomery Parks is replacing the artificial turf field surface. Completion: March. Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/20AIa8u8EI

— Renay Johnson (@blairprincipal) January 25, 2017

Artificial Turf Field for Whitman High School

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has scheduled a brief information presentation regarding the potential stadium field artificial turf project at Walt Whitman High School.

           

This notice is to inform you the meeting will take place on January 25, 2017, at Walt Whitman High School at 7:00 p.m. in Whitman’s auditorium. 

MCPS extends an invitation to you to participate in this process. The community is encouraged to send representatives from their respective streets, areas, and associations.

The purpose of this meeting is to review details of the project and provide an overview of the design and construction process.

Scheduled participants include the principal of the school, MCPS staff from the Department of Facilities Management, government agencies, and school representatives.  PTA members, parents, and neighbors are strongly encouraged to attend.

If you have any questions prior to the meeting, please contact Ms. Michelle Schmitz, administrative secretary, Division of Construction at

240-314-1000; TTY users should call Maryland Relay (711). 

Taking these steps will help us have sufficient time to best meet your needs. 

Thank you.

 Dr. Alan Goodwin

N.J. soccer club accuses top artificial turf company of fraud

The owner of a New Jersey soccer facility claims in a new class-action lawsuit the leading U.S. maker of artificial sports fields, FieldTurf, repeatedly brushed off complaints about his failing field and told him conditions would improve over time.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for New Jersey, is the third proposed class-action to be brought by customers in the state against FieldTurf in response to an NJ Advance Media investigation that detailed potential fraud.

The investigation found FieldTurf and its executives for years earned ballooning profits as sales of its popular turf, Duraspine, skyrocketed, all the while knowing fields were falling apart and would not live up to marketing and advertising claims.

Despite warnings and candid internal discussions, FieldTurf officials kept selling Duraspine to cities, towns, school districts and private companies across the country, and never changed their sales pitches. The turf was phased out in 2012...

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/01/post_404.html

Together w/@EPA & @CDCgov, we’re looking into the safety of crumb rubber on playgrounds. Status report and tips: http://bit.ly/2ifxCuK

Together w/@EPA & @CDCgov, we’re looking into the safety of crumb rubber on playgrounds. Status report and tips: https://t.co/leRtbWCTTY pic.twitter.com/zdRlaj7IHr

— U.S. CPSC (@USCPSC) December 30, 2016

Md. U.S. attorney’s office recovers nearly $47 million in FY16, DOJ says #NotFrosh #NotDefectivePlasticGrass

The Maryland U.S. attorney’s office collected nearly $47 million in criminal and civil recoveries in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the federal Justice Department reported Thursday.

Of that figure, more than $35 million came via civil actions, including money that had been lost to the U.S. government through fraud or other misconduct or by violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws, the department stated.

These civil cases included investigations against PNC Bank, Foundation Health Service Inc., Arkema Inc. and Westvaco. The U.S attorney’s office also collected civil penalties under the federal Controlled Substances Act from investigations of CVS Pharmacy Inc., Value Drug Inc. and Drug City Pharmacy Inc., the department reported.

As for criminal recoveries, the Maryland U.S. attorney’s office collected $11.5 million through restitution, criminal fines and felony assessments.
In all, the U.S. attorney’s offices nationwide recovered more than $15.3 billion in fiscal 2016...

 http://thedailyrecord.com/2016/12/15/md-u-s-attorneys-office-recovers-nearly-47-million-in-fy16-doj-says/

Sag Harbor Voters Mow Down Artificial Turf Plan #NotMCPS #NotMoCoParents #MDLovesDefectivePlasticGrass

Plans for an artificial turf field at Pierson Middle-High School came to a screeching halt Wednesday night, with Sag Harbor School District residents turning out en masse, voting 1,016 to 135 against a proposal that would allow the board of education to take cash from its Capital Reserve Fund to increase monies approved in 2013 for the field.
The $365,000 — which would not have had a tax impact on residents — was necessary in order for the district to move forward with the project. Since the 2013 vote, which was approved by taxpayers, 585-507, the cost of constructing the field increased significantly. Bids opened last winter came in between $500,000 and $700,000 over budget. If approved Wednesday, the financing would have supplemented the $1.62 million originally approved by voters, although it would have been used for a scaled back version of the 2013 plan.
A group of parents — led by board member Susan Lamontagne — began a grassroots effort in 2012, and re-invigorated that movement last February, in an effort to push the district away from synthetic turf and towards a natural grass or natural sod option for the field, citing health and safety concerns surrounding the crumb rubber — or recycled tire rubber — infill. A federal study was launched last winter by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Centers for Disease Control to look into health and environmental safety concerns raised about turf fields and playgrounds made with recycled tires. A draft of that report is expected by the end of the year.
Two weeks ago, the Sag Harbor Elementary School PTA and the Pierson Middle High School PTSA voted to oppose the plan as well. At a second public session, hosted by the district last week, students were both supportive and opposed to the artificial turf. Sophomore Paige Schaefer, who plays field hockey and softball, presented the board with a petition boasting 100 student signatures supportive of the plan...

 http://sagharboronline.com/sag-harbor-voters-mow-artificial-turf-plan/

New federal class-action suit claims FieldTurf stonewalled N.J. customer #MDLovesDefectivePlasticGrass

The drumbeat of legal action against the nation's leading maker of artificial sports fields intensified this week when a national class-action lawsuit landed in New Jersey.
The suit, filed on behalf of Carteret, claims FieldTurf sold the borough fields that failed to meet exaggerated promises and then stonewalled officials' complaints until warranties expired.
The allegations made by Carteret directly refute FieldTurf's assertions that premature deterioration with a brand of high-end turf known as Duraspine had not affected New Jersey customers.
The national complaint was filed late Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, 10 days after NJ Advance Media published an investigation revealing FieldTurf sold Duraspine for years after executives knew it was falling apart. Last week, the Newark school system filed the first class-action lawsuit against the company in state Superior Court in Essex County, and state authorities in New Jersey and New York also began examining the business practices of the company...

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/12/nj_borough_files_federal_class-action_suit_against.html

2 US Senators call for FTC to Hold FieldTurf Accountable #notMD #notMikulski #notCardin #notFrosh

Booker, Menendez say FTC must hold top U.S. turf company accountable
In a letter sent Sunday to the Federal Trade Commission’s chairwoman, and obtained by NJ Advance Media, Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez (both D-New Jersey) said the government must be "vigilant against deception and misuse of taxpayer dollars."
Read the letter and their call for action on NJ.com.

Newark Schools Files Class Action Against FieldTurf #notMaryland #notFrosh

The Newark school system has filed a class-action lawsuit against the nation's leading maker of artificial sports fields, FieldTurf, alleging the company defrauded more than 100 public and private schools and municipalities in the state.
The complaint, filed late Wednesday in state Superior Court in Essex County, capped two days of fast-moving developments following an NJ Advance Media investigation that revealed the company sold high-end turf for years after executives knew it was falling apart.
Lance Kalik -- an attorney with the law firm Riker Danzig, which is representing the schools -- said the news organization's investigation "contained allegations and facts that are quite disturbing."
"If true, it means that many public bodies, not just the state-operated district, but others as well, as well as some private schools, have been sold a product that was based on potentially false and misleading marketing and sales practices," Kalik said....

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/12/newark_schools_file_class-action_lawsuit_against_f.html#incart_river_home

10 FieldTurf fields at high schools across Georgia failed. Georgia, athletic directors and coaches saw something strange going on with their FieldTurf artificial football fields.

ATLANTA - All across Georgia, athletic directors and coaches saw something strange going on with their FieldTurf artificial football fields.

“It would be like you walked through freshly mowed lawns. You’d have fibers all over you shoes,” says Carrollton High School Athletic Director David Brooks.



http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/i-team/218016511-story

SPECIAL REPORT: Top turf company made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers #mcps #FieldTurf #MCPSLOVESFieldTurf

SPECIAL REPORT: Top turf company made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers
When the hottest selling artificial sports fields in the U.S. began falling apart, executives at FieldTurf chose profits over the good of their biggest customer - the unwitting public.
Read 'The 100-Yard Deception' on NJ.com.

From the investigation:

An NJ Advance Media investigation of FieldTurf and its executives reveals:

• They knew. For most of the time they sold the fields, at $300,000 to $500,000 each, executives were aware the turf was deteriorating faster than expected and might not last a decade or more as promised.

• They misled. Despite candid, internal email discussions about their overblown sales pitches, executives never changed their marketing campaign for Duraspine fields.

• They tried to cover up. A lawyer warned that some of those internal emails could be damaging in a lawsuit, and an executive sought to delete them. An IT consultant refused, calling it a “possible crime.”

• They kept quiet. From the time fields began to fail in 2006 until today, executives have never told most customers about Duraspine’s problems or how to identify signs it was prematurely falling apart.

• They stonewalled. Some customers who did report problems said FieldTurf officials slow-footed warranty claims and told them the deterioration was normal, or that their fields needed more maintenance.

 http://fieldturf.nj.com/2/

 http://fieldturf.nj.com/

NJ Investigates what Montgomery County Loves, Getting Ripped off by No Bid Plastic Grass Vendor

COMING SUNDAY: A six-month investigation into the leading maker of artificial sports fields in U.S., #FieldTurf https://t.co/Z9em6ylWMi

— Christopher Baxter (@cbaxter1) December 1, 2016

http://fieldturf.nj.com/

http://fieldturf.nj.com/

The 100-Yard Deception Preview fieldturf.nj.com How the leading maker of artificial turf fields in the U.S., FieldTurf, made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers.

Despite Failures, San Diego Unified Just Can’t Quit FieldTurf

San Diego Unified had at least six Fieldturf fields fall apart before the warranty was up, and two were replaced with the same defective product. Still, district officials have such confidence in the company, no other turf manufacturer has been allowed to compete for jobs within the district.


This is Part Three in our four-part series. Here’s where to find Part One and Part Two. 
Twenty artificial turf fields that once gleamed in the San Diego sun have quickly fallen apart over the last decade thanks to a defect.
The field failures have created dilemmas for school districts that tried to get replacements from FieldTurf USA under the manufacturer’s eight-year warranty. Often, schools were faced with the option of choosing a free replacement with the same defective material, or paying thousands of dollars more to upgrade to a non-defective product that would hold up as originally promised.
San Diego Unified – the region’s largest FieldTurf buyer – had at least two defective fields replaced with more of the same turf that failed...

Voice of San Diego scoured thousands of San Diego Unified documents and sought an interview with district officials to discuss the district’s FieldTurf history. Officials declined multiple interview requests and instead made defensive, misleading and at times outright dishonest claims by email.
For starters, Reed-Porter said district fields were replaced for free under warranty before they actually failed as a preventative measure.
“The FieldTurf fields in San Diego Unified did not fail. It would be inaccurate for you insinuate or report in your story,” she wrote Sept. 21. “According to FieldTurf at the time, the fields were beginning to show signs of wear, and might not last though (sic) the entire warranty period.”
That’s not quite what district and FieldTurf officials said in emails when $1.5 million worth of FieldTurf Duraspine turf installed in 2010 at Mira Mesa, San Diego and Morse high schools needed replacement after only four years...

 ...The district has had such confidence in FieldTurf over the years, no other manufacturer has been allowed to compete for the turf job. Public officials continue to argue FieldTurf’s superior product and warranty allows them to skip competitive bidding normally required by state law for public works projects.

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/despite-failures-san-diego-unified-just-cant-quit-fieldturf/

FieldTurf USA turned failure into opportunity when dozens of its artificial turf fields quickly fell apart at local public schools.

This is Part Two in a four-part series. Catch up with Part One here.
FieldTurf USA turned failure into opportunity when dozens of its artificial turf fields quickly fell apart at the region’s public schools in recent years.

Though customers paid $450,000 to $800,000 per field for “the best” and “the next generation of engineering excellence,” certain FieldTurf fields frayed, faded and shed after only a few football seasons, years before the eight-year warranty ran out.

The field failures – caused by a defect in the turf grass blades in the company’s popular Duraspine field – raised safety concerns for some schools and spurred districts to seek free warranty replacements from the Canadian turf manufacturer.
FieldTurf’s response came with fewer apologies than “offers” and “opportunities” for schools to upgrade their turf field to the latest and greatest for another $25,000 to $300,000, records show.
Some school districts took that offer to avoid getting more defective turf and to finally get a quality product. Schools like Carlsbad High, Fallbrook High, Valley Center High and Mesa College all paid FieldTurf a second time to replace defective fields that were still under warranty.
No one held the turf company line and wrung more money from local customers than regional FieldTurf salesman Tim Coury.
Coury also employed legally questionable methods to get new fields built, public records obtained by Voice of San Diego show.
The worst example was found in emails produced by Oceanside Unified...

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/education/the-consummate-salesman/