Newton North’s Artificial Turf Field’s Replacement project will more forward. In its final meeting on Monday, December 18, the City Council approved a request to appropriate $2.4 million from Certified Free Cash to replace Newton North’s Dickinson Field and resurface its track.
Proponents have argued that the current field needs to be replaced because it is beyond its useful life and now poses safety concerns. They state that while a “well-maintained grass field may be preferable, that choice in rarely available.” Proponents argue that turf fields are easier to maintain and provide significantly more playing time for more athletes.
Health and environmental advocates, scientists, and medical experts have warned about the health and safety risks of artificial turf as well as its contamination of surface and groundwater. They argue that student athletes are more likely to be injured on plastic turf than on grass, are exposed to known carcinogens and neurotoxins in artificial turf, and also are at increased risk of heat illness and infectious complications of turf burns. Pro-athletes have also raised concern about the use of artificial turf.
The City’s Sustainable Materials Management Commission expressed concerns that the City has not given proper consideration of “the longer term issues of waste generation, hazardous chemical proliferation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to the issue of adequate playing capacity.”
Regarding safe and responsible disposal, a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article reported that Pennsylvania has become a dumping ground for discarded artificial turf and identified two fields from Newton, Massachusetts being left at an industrial complex adjacent to a sewage plant in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
Outgoing Ward 6 At-Large Councilor Alicia Bowman supported the request and said that she finds herself in an odd situation as not someone saying no to environmental advocates but considering this a much more complex issue. While she believes there are toxins in turf fields, she said that people are exposed to toxins from many things. She challenged those who are concerned about PFAS to also get on board with reducing driving and reducing pavement. She added that the question before the current City Council is whether or not to make the current turf field safer for play, while the next City Council can move forward with expanded field plans that can result in a better mixture of natural surfaces.
Ward 4 At-Large Councilor Krintzman said there are trade-offs. He noted that the vast majority of emails in favor of artificial turf identified who their children were, whereas opponents did not identify having children. He felt that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Ward 3 Councilor Andrea Kelley agreed with colleagues who say there are pros and cons but she would not support the item. She said she has kids who played sports and understands the need for more field space, adding that she was the first open space coordinator for Newton. Kelley said that she was listening to the scientists and not the users as experts, has been reading about PFAS, is concerned about its toxicity, and wants children, adults, and animals to be safe. She prefers to take the long view rather than the shorter convenient view. She said when thinking about the safety of the children, “… not installing is by far a safer option than installing it. “
The funding request was approved by a vote of 19 in favor, 4 opposed (Kelley, Malakie, Norton, and Wright), and 1 absent (Ryan).
