'Forever chemicals': Poolesville's drinking water contaminated #artificialturf #crumbrubber

The town closed off two wells while testing determines the source of PFOS and PFOA chemicals.

POOLESVILLE, Md. — Caroline Taylor worked for years leading the environmental group Montgomery Countryside Alliance to keep drinking water safe. She was one of around 6,000 Poolesville residents who got a warning earlier in December from town management that drinking water was contaminated with two toxins.

"Many of us worked so hard in the 1990s to get protected by the federal government as a sole source aquifer," said Taylor. And at the time, the water was tested to be high quality. So we were so proud of this. And so protective of it and to find "forever chemicals,' perhaps tainting it and making it dangerous. It's tough."..

Poolesville's drinking water contaminated by 'forever chemicals' | wusa9.com

Remove & ban shredded tire mulch from Poolesville playgrounds & replace w/ safer material

 As community members and concerned parents, we urge Commissioners to remove the shredded tire mulch in all playgrounds in the town of Poolesville and replace it with safer, sustainable, certified ADA-compliant engineered wood fiber tested and verified to be free of chromated copper arsenate (CCA). We also urge town Commissioners to permanently ban any further installation of shredded tire mulch in the future due to its many potential health and environmental hazards.

Our youngest, most vulnerable populations have a right to a healthy, safe environment where they play. Children should not be exposed knowingly to materials containing contaminants like lead when safer, inexpensive, readily available alternatives like engineered wood fiber exist. Children are much more biologically and developmentally susceptible to harmful chemicals even at low exposure levels since their organs are still developing and behaviors such as increased hand-to-mouth contact and crawling put them at greater risk of harmful exposures. They also breathe more air and drink more water per body weight than adults, putting them at risk of exposure to higher concentrations of toxins in their environments. 

Below are some important reasons for taking a proactive, preventative, evidence-based approach to better protect our children and community from known hazards that shredded rubber tires present. 

• Well known hazardous chemicals found in shredded tire mulch: 
  • The science on the known hazards found in shredded tires is well documented in many studies and reports including the EPA FRAP literature review, a Yale report, UMASS Lowell Toxics Reduction Institute Playground Surfacing report, and an Environment and Human Health report. This research provides evidence of the many carcinogenic and hormone disrupting chemicals, in addition to skin, eye, and respiratory irritants that can exacerbate asthma. These chemicals found in shredded tire mulch include but are not limited to heavy metals including lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), phthalates, and PFAS.
  • Lead alone is linked to many harmful health effects including permanent neurological, behavioral, and developmental problems and cancer. There is no safe level of lead, especially for young children.
  • Other contaminants found in this material raise additional cummulative health and environmental concerns. For example, according to the EPA skin contact and breathing in PAH’s increases the risk of developing cancer and birth defects.
• Hotter temperatures means less playtime:
  • The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend limiting time on playgrounds with shredded tire mulch as a result of hotter surface temperatures.
• Reliance on groundwater for our town’s primary drinking water source and soil quality in the agricultural reserve:
  • There is potential for hazardous chemicals mentioned above to leach into Poolesville’s aquifers and soil, contaminating our drinking water and food in the agricultural reserve. PFAS, also known as the “forever chemical” due to its high persistence in our environment, is posing an additional health and environmental risk to our community. On August 23, 2022, two months after the Poolesville playground fire, water testing results found PFAS in well two, the same well that was nearest to the site where the playground fire took place. Banning sources of PFAS contamination such as shredded tire mulch is critical as they are very costly and difficult to remove from our drinking water.
• Relevant, common sense federal and local laws that are intended to protect communities and young children from the hazards found in tire waste:
  • There is a scrap tire law in Montgomery County that includes provisions to safely dispose of tires properly, as they contain hazardous chemicals and are a fire hazard. The unfortunate fire that took place in Poolesville playground on Fisher Avenue in June of 2022 is a good example of the potential hazards from burning such material, which could have been avoided had safer materials been in use.
  • In 2015 the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed a resolution to ban tire crumb rubber used in synthetic turf and both Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery Parks do not use shredded tire mulch in their playgrounds, especially since it isn’t ADA approved.
  • The Consumer Product Safety Commission has set strict limits for lead content in accessible parts of all children's products including playground equipment. Shredded tire mulch is highly accessible to children as it is loose and they often play with it. The CPSC documents the many instances of young children playing with the material and putting it in their mouths. All routes of exposure (skin and eye contact, ingestion, and inhalation) are a concern in this case.
• Benefits of removal far outweigh the costs associated with exposure to shredded tire mulch:
  • Per a study looking at Economic gains resulting from the reduction in children's exposure to lead in the United States by NIH and CDC researchers, estimated costs associated with reducing a 2-year-old child’s blood lead levels to the point where their IQ improves by just one point increases their lifetime productivity somewhere between 1.76-2.38%. Applying the lowest estimate, this translates to a present value of $22,375 (2022 dollars) of lifetime earnings for one child that otherwise would have been lost. Multiply that by the number of just 2-year-olds currently living in Poolesville today and it is clear that the resulting benefits far exceed the costs of shredded tire mulch removal. Note that this does not even factor in other healthcare costs associated with lead or other contaminant exposure.
  • Engineered wood fiber and wood chips are also less expensive than shredded tire mulch!

In light of all of this, we strongly urge the Commission to take a preventative approach to better protect and prioritize the health and well-being of our children and community.

Petition · Remove & ban shredded tire mulch from Poolesville playgrounds & replace w/ safer material · Change.org

Toxic chemicals lurk at playgrounds

When Diana Zuckerman was growing up, there was dirt underneath the slides. Her children played on playgrounds placed atop sand and mulch. But, today, when she drives around her Bethesda, Md., neighborhood, all Zuckerman sees are rubber playgrounds.

The sight concerns Zuckerman, because as president for the National Center for Health Research she has testified in front of multiple municipal and even state governments about the toxic chemicals that can lurk in rubber playground surfaces.

The chemicals can include neurotoxins like lead and other heavy metals, as well as carcinogenic chemicals like polyaromatic hydrocarbons, endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates, and chemicals linked to other organ damage like volatile organic compounds and PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances...

https://www.eenews.net/articles/toxic-chemicals-lurk-at-childrens-playgrounds/

Whitman HS Artificial Turf Football Field Fails Again. @mcps Pays for Upkeep on this field. What's the total so far?

After the zeolite infill failed at the @WWHSAthletics new artificial turf field, they replace it with a wood infill called #Brockfill. They promised it would not float or migrate. Then it rained. #whatabrock #fieldofbaddreams #hotmess @mocoboe @MCPSAthletics @bdubbsonline pic.twitter.com/xrwmV1Ku8R

— Safe Healthy Fields (@SHPFC) July 14, 2022

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Breaking: Whitman HS Artificial Turf Field has Failed. 3 Yr Old Field not draining at required rate, infill must be removed.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2022/02/breaking-whitman-hs-artificial-turf.html

Update: Maine School will Not be Receiving 200+ Tons of Crumb Rubber from WJHS Football Field. Where will it go?

The Parents' Coalition has learned from Sarah Craighead Dedmon the Editor of the Machias Valley News Observer that the school in Maine that was listed as the destination for the 200+ tons of crumb rubber infill removed from the WJHS artificial turf football field will not be receiving the crumb rubber.

MCPS will need to update their plan for the removal of the 200+ tons of crumb rubber removed from the WJHS artificial turf.

Where will it go?

Images from the 200+ tons of crumb rubber removed
from the WJHS artificial turf field. Each bag is 1 ton. 

MCPS Shipping 200+ Tons of Crumb Rubber Infill to Maine School #artificialturf #WJHS #crumbrubber

Half of the 229 one ton bags of crumb rubber removed from the WJHS failed artificial turf field.

WJHS crumb rubber.
Each bag is 1 ton of ground up tires. 

MCPS has now announced what will happen to the 200+ tons of crumb rubber removed from the failed Walter Johnson High School artificial turf football field. 

Most of the 220 tons of crumb rubber will be shipped to Maine where it will be used as infill for a school field in the town of East Machias, Maine.  The school is in a very rural area and serves both private and public school students. 

Walter Johnson High School ... by Parents' Coalition of Montg... on Scribd

Bill Filed Today to Prohibit Ground Up Tires from Being Used as Artificial Turf #crumbrubber #artificialturf

Ground up tires spilling out of RMHS
 artificial turf.

Maryland House Bill 1032 Summary:

Prohibiting the Secretary of the Environment from issuing a permit to install, materially alter, or materially extend incinerators; prohibiting a person that stores scrap tires from returning the scrap tires to the marketplace for use as artificial turf; prohibiting a person from incinerating tires; specifying the authority of a political subdivision to regulate refuse disposal systems and solid waste; etc.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb1032?ys=2020rs

Bret Harte Filed Suit Against FieldTurf for Failed Football Field. Field Replaced. Same Type Field as Walter Johnson HS @mcps

This high school had the same type of plastic football field as is currently in use at Walter Johnson High School.  The WJHS plastic field has been deteriorating for years due to the defective plastic grass blades.  MCPS and the Board of Education have ignored the failure of this field and continued to keep in open, putting the safety of children at risk every day.

2016: 

High school calls foul on its football field; sues FieldTurf

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2016/03/just-in-high-school-calls-foul-on-its.html

2017:
Bret Harte gets new turf to defend   
 http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/sports/article_c0c8249c-57a2-11e7-bc6e-6bc4f5561323.html 

Lead in Playgrounds: “These big tractor tires would have lead added to them specifically so that they weighed more so that your tractor didn’t tip over backward when you were trying to tow something heavy,”

Somerset ES Parents and Mayor Demanded Kids Play on 126 Degree Plastic Surface, and They Got Their Wish @Marc_Elrich

The Somerset Elementary School parents and community (even the Mayor) insisted that the children in their community should play on a very hot, plastic surface at their elementary school.  The parents and Mayor raised money for the plastic field and the Board of Education awarded a no bid artificial turf deal (they threw out the actual bids) to FieldTurf.

The Montgomery County Council supported the installation of the field that would slowly bake the children.

The field went in.

Now we see that the plastic is heating up just as predicted.  On a school day in October, the Somerset ES plastic playground registered 126 degrees. 


Below is the field test report from October 9, 2018.

Somerset Elementary School ... by on Scribd

Somerset Elementary School ... by on Scribd

Letter from Nonprofits to DC Mayor and Other Officials About Dangers of Artificial Turf and Playgrounds

Identical letters were sent to members of the DC City Council, the DC superintendent of schools, and other DC officials.

July 10, 2018

Dear Mayor Bowser:

We, the undersigned organizations and businesses, are writing to strongly urge that the District government stop installing synthetic turf and poured in place (PIP) playgrounds in Washington, D.C.  There is a growing body of evidence that these synthetic surfaces endanger children’s health, are harmful to our environment, and are very expensive to install and maintain compared to natural grass.1,2,3,4

• In the District, children have been endangered by surface temperatures that have been measured in excess of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.5,6,7,8
• For years, children in the District have been endangered by playing fields that are excessively hard, far out of compliance with any safety standards.  Until last year, the District did not correctly monitor Gmax testing of field hardness (called impact attenuation) to ensure even a minimum safety standard to prevent injuries when children fall.  A score of 165 or higher is considered too dangerous for children by the Synthetic Turf Council.  Dozens of DCPS playing fields exceeding that 165 score remain in service with no remediation at all.8,9,10,11

When products with known risks of injuries from infection, high temperature and hardness are installed, the District has an obligation to provide monitoring and safety standards.  That hasn’t been done in a timely manner,12 and students have been harmed.13,14,15

...

http://www.center4research.org/letter-to-dc-officials-about-artificial-turf-and-playgrounds/

Parade of Pollution: July 19, 2018 - Richard Montgomery High School Artificial Turf and Crumb Rubber Removal #ArtificialTurfPrivilege

Part 2:
These pictures were taken on July 19, 2018, and document the removal of the football field of plastic grass and 120 tons of crumb rubber from Richard Montgomery High School.  The black on the ground is some of the spilled 120 tons of crumb rubber (ground up used tires) from the field.  The crumb rubber is shown on the ground and around the storm drains.
See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

 All pictures taken on July 19, 2018, at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, MD.

Richard Montgomery High School crumb rubber artificial turf field removal

Here is the official letter stating that the hazardous artificial turf field at Richard Montgomery High School was removed and 'recycled.' The letter is dated July 18, 2018, and the company is Turfcycle USA. According to this letter the used commercial tires crumb rubber field is now at 11011 Pulaski Highway, White Marsh, MD.

Chain of Custody Reuse by freestategal on Scribd

Forget Plastic Straws, Board of Ed. is Dumping Ground Up Tires in Streams in Cabin John Watershed

Remember when FieldTurf told the Montgomery County Council in 2011 that when artificial turf is removed "every single component will be recycled?"

Here we are 7 years later and this is the reality.  The Richard Montgomery HS artificial turf has been ripped up and 120 tons of ground up tires (crumb rubber) are being spread all over the school grounds, parking lot, roads and are going into our storm drains, ponds and creeks in the Cabin John Watershed.

All of the black dots you see in the pictures below are ground up tires (crumb rubber) used as the infill on the artificial turf field at RMHS.  Each artificial turf field requires 120 tons of ground up tires. All pictures were taken in the last two days and after the recent rain storm.

Drain surrounded by ground up tire pellets from artificial turf infill on 

Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf field. 

To report illegal dumping in the City of Rockville:

There it goes! But where is it going? Dump? Incinerator? Another High School?

This is a picture of some of the used artificial turf from the Richard Montgomery High School field being hauled away.

But where is all this plastic going?  The Board of Education has not discussed this or made a plan for how to dispose of an entire football field of plastic. 

If you see the driver of this 18 wheeler, ask them where they are headed.

NIH: Crumb Rubber in Playgrounds and Children's Health

March 20, 2018

Recycled rubber artificial turf and similar products were introduced into athletic fields and playgrounds in the 1990s to make playing surfaces more comfortable. This recycled rubber comes from automobile tires, which are ground into very small rubber pellets, called crumb.

Scientists and doctors have expressed concern about crumb rubber use in play grounds and artificial turf because safety testing of these products has not been conducted, and tires are known to contain heavy metals, cancer-causing chemicals, and other toxic substances. Children can be exposed to the harmful substances in crumb rubber when the pellets touch their skin, when small pieces are accidentally swallowed, and when some of the chemicals are released from the rubber in the form of gas which can be inhaled, or enter the environment through leaching.

In this podcast, learn more about what scientists are doing to understand the health risks of crumb rubber in playgrounds, and what you can do to reduce children’s exposure to potentially harmful contaminants.

PODCAST:  https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/translational/peph/podcasts/crumb_rubber/

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

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

Guest Post: What a Concussion Looks Like on Artificial Turf

Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. taken off on stretcher after landing on head yesterday.  

Watch in the video to see his head bounce off the artificial turf.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nebraska-qb-tommy-armstrong-jr-taken-off-on-stretcher-after-landing-on-head-015415759.html

Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. taken off on stretcher after landing on head sports.yahoo.com NOVEMBER 5: Tommy Armstrong Jr. #4 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is looked at by trainers from Ohio State after being injured on a tackle in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Columbus, Ohio. Armstrong Jr. was taken off on a cart and did not return

The 2014 field replaced a June 2007 defective Duraspine field. FieldTurf Duraspine is the same type of field at Walter Johnson, Richard Montgomery and Montgomery Blair high schools. 

FIELDTURF RE-USED THE OLD INFILL IN THIS "NEW" FIELD!!  Here's a story and video that documents it:

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/052314aab.html

OhioStateBuckeyes.com VIDEO: Ohio Stadium FieldTurf ... www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com - Three turf fields - Ohio Stadium, the Woody Hayes Athletic Center indoor field and one outdoor field at the WHAC - will receive new FieldTurf surfaces this spring ...