Editor, The Spotlight:
On Tuesday, March 12, 2013, Bethlehem residents will have the opportunity to vote on two School Bond Proposals.
The first, for $20.2 million dollars is for repairs and facilities improvements around the school district.
The second, for $3.5 million dollars is to install synthetic turf on the high school playing field.
I urge the voting public to vote “no” on the second bond proposal for the following reasons:
Synthetic turf leaches toxins into the environment. Studies have concluded that artificial turf has the potential to pollute our environment with dangerous toxins like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead. As a result, runoff from an artificial turf field that drains to a local creek can pose a risk of toxic effects. And kids playing on these fields are exposed to leaching and off-gassing chemicals known to have carcinogenic, repro-toxic, mutagenic, and endocrine-disrupting effects.
Artificial turf increases injuries, especially head injuries. Researchers are studying the effects of artificial turf on increasing sports injuries, including increased frequency and severity of head injuries, and increased potential for infection and skin burns.
Fabricated turf creates heat islands. Artificial turf gets much hotter than grass. Studies have found temperatures on artificial turf exceeding temperatures on nearby natural grass in the range of 39° to 95°F–even up to 140°F–hotter. The result is play on artificial turf fields, where kids and adults are expected to play their best, at temperatures 117° to 157°F–and even hotter.
Bonnie Goldsmith, Delmar