Moratorium in effect until results of health impact released
Cabrillo Unified School District has agreed to a moratorium on the use of crumb rubber in constructing its athletic fields until more conclusive results are available regarding the material’s impact on health.
Three district fields have the material, but, going forward, district officials have no intention of using it until they know more.
“If we do anything in the future, until this evidence is in, we won’t use crumb rubber,” Superintendent Jane Yuster said.
While the district’s official declaration is in response to a San Mateo County civil grand jury report’s recommendations, school officials said they’ve historically strived to put student safety first, particularly with the installation of its newest field at Half Moon Bay High School. There they’ve opted to use organic matter, as opposed to chopped up tires, as infill.
“We made (that) decision with the best safety interest of the students in mind, so that’s why there’s a cork field,” Yuster said.
In recent years, artificial materials — including crumb rubber — have become increasingly popular on school playgrounds and fields across the country.
At first, it seemed to present a win-win situation. Crumb rubber added traction to slippery, artificial surfaces for kids to play on, was often more affordable than natural grass, and recycled tires that might have otherwise led to an annual dump of 4 million tons of waste.
However, there’s growing concern that the material may be toxic. An increasing number of young athletes have gotten cancer after playing on artificial fields.
In 2008, California Gov. Jerry Brown filed suit against several artificial turf companies for using materials that contained hazardous levels of lead.
“Lead is a stunningly toxic chemical that has no place in playing fields for children,” Center for Environmental Health CEO Michael Green warned in a 2009 statement.
As the debate continues about the hazards imposed by tire products, a civil grand jury report recommends that districts consider community involvement and feedback when new fields are up for installation, evaluate current studies, and consider the uncertainty associated with tire products and their effects on health.
“We’re actually ahead of this grand jury report,” Yuster said.
District officials said that they look forward to study results from federal health agencies, though it’s not known when those will be completed.
August 17, 2017
Half Moon Bay Review
By Sara Hayden
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