A virtually yearlong effort to ban synthetic turf on Santa Clara County-owned properties has failed after the Board of Supervisors was unable to return to a consensus on the a lot debated subject.
The pure grass versus synthetic turf debate has change into a dividing challenge throughout the Bay Space in recent times — and Tuesday’s board assembly was no totally different as residents on either side packed the downtown San Jose chambers.
Throughout the assembly, supervisors wrestled over whether or not they would exempt enjoying fields. Makes an attempt to approve a complete ban or a ban with an exception for athletic fields each didn’t get a majority vote.
Board President Otto Lee, who first proposed banning synthetic turf final April citing potential environmental and well being impacts, mentioned in a press release that regardless of the end result, they “still made progress to bring awareness to the impacts of plastic turf.”
Synthetic turf has change into a well-liked various to grass, particularly for taking part in fields, as a result of it prices much less to take care of and doesn’t require common waterings. However turf is manufactured from artificial grass fibers with crumb rubber infill that comprises PFAS, generally generally known as “forever chemicals,” that can take 1000’s of years to interrupt down and might trigger antagonistic environmental and well being results — together with most cancers.
On heat days, turf additionally emits extra warmth than the pure various. And a few medical professionals say it’s more durable on athletes’ our bodies.
At a press convention final week, Santa Clara County Medical Affiliation President Dr. Fahd Khan referred to as synthetic turf “a game changer in the worst way.”
“The surfaces’ rigidity and lack of give increase the strain on joints, ligaments and muscles making it less forgiving during sudden stops, pivots and falls,” he mentioned. “Plastic turf gets dangerously hot. On sunny days these fields can reach temperatures up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit — hot enough to cause heat exhaustion or burns.
But many of the soccer parents and coaches attending Tuesday’s meeting told the board that natural grass fields are often in poor shape — especially during the rainy season — and that there is a shortage of fields in the county.
Shea Salinas, a former Major League Soccer player and coach for the Santa Clara Lions, told the board that they constantly turn kids away because they don’t have enough field space.
“Our soccer team has access to four grass fields and four turf fields and unfortunately the four grass fields are never able to be utilized,” he mentioned. “They’re constantly being re-seeded, re-sodded and re-surfaced and we’re never able to use them.”
Supervisor Betty Duong mentioned that whereas the problem at its core is an environmental one, it is usually about fairness as her district, which incorporates East San Jose, has few leisure areas for teenagers.
“I cannot in good conscience support an ordinance that tells community members that those places whether it be on the East Side, Little Saigon, South County or juveniles at the James Ranch that it is grass or nothing,” she mentioned. “Since grass is not practical where you are, you get nothing. I know that’s not the message we’re trying to put out there today, but in it’s application I believe that is the message that will land.”
