Even the National Football League wants to get rid of synthetic turf.
Natural grass sports fields would improve our environment and health as the new East River Park rises. Instead the city is installing unhealthful and climate damaging artificial turf. It is also being installed in other fields and playgrounds in our neighborhood and throughout the city and the state.
Assembly member Grace Lee (East River Park’s district) introduced a bill last year for a moratorium on synthetic turf throughout the state until the effects can be studied. They banned it in Boston! We can too.
Please contact Lee (and if you are in another district, your own assembly member as well). Ask her to update* and push hard for this legislation: Call 212-312-1420. Email leeg@nyassembly.gov
Bill #A07158.
*The update is needed because the bill currently emphasizes possible harms of rubber infill (the little beads that hold the plastic grass upright)–which is not being used in New York any more. Now infill beads are made with other materials–for instance, sand coated with triclosan, an anti-bacterial that has been banned in soap. All of the hazards need to be studied.
Contact your City Council Member and state senator as well (scroll down for addresses). Especially consider contacting City Council Members Chris Marte and Caren de la Rosa. They already have artificial turf on their minds because they’ve been hearing from constituents about it.
What are the risks to mention? See the links below for the many hazards:
Contact your City and State legislators:
Here’s a link where you can enter your address to locate your city, state and federal elected officials: https://www.mygovnyc.org
Or if you already know who they are, here are some of their email addresses:
Carlina Rivera: https://council.nyc.gov/district-2/,
Chris Marte: https://council.nyc.gov/district-1/ ,
Grace Lee: leeg@nyassembly.gov
Harvey Epstein: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Harvey-Epstein/contact/,
Carmen de la Rosa: District10@council.nyc.gov
Mark Levine: https://www.manhattanbp.nyc.gov/contact/
Shekar Krishnan: https://council.nyc.gov/district-25/,
Brad Hoylman: https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/brad-hoylman/contact,
Brian Kavanagh: https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/brian-kavanagh/contact
Mayor Eric Adams: https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/mayor-contact.page