CBS News: School replaces artificial turf over cancer concerns
Groups Giving Second Thoughts To Those Little Black Crumbs On Playing Fields
Shame on all you media people who read this blog and don't want to cover this issue.
Groups Giving Second Thoughts To Those Little Black Crumbs On Playing Fields
Shame on all you media people who read this blog and don't want to cover this issue.
37 comments:
After hearing the nationwide worries about crumb rubber infill...
"We were days away from the infill process," [Kennedy Catholic HS] Principal Mike Prato told KIRO reporter David Ham. "we said regardless stop everything."
"We are a family and we're going to make sure we get them the best possible field and the safest possible
field that they could get us and they did," said football coach Bob Bourgette."
Here in Pittsburgh, PA our leaders from the state rep and senator, to the DEP, Superintendent, School Board, Rec Director, Commissioners to the "reputable" media and press pretend like there are no worries what-so-ever.
But they'll all go after some new fee, reassessment or tax like a coon dog on a scent!
tennis shoe crumbs will not be considered.
I'm not so sure that tennis shoe crumbs are any better. New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) Fact Sheet
Be Aware of Artificial Turf Hazards
Elaine
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5997228
"Many state laws prohibit burning tires, or even disposing of them in landfills, because of the potential release of toxic chemicals. So reusing them is economically and environmentally an attractive option."
SAY WHAT? "STATES PROHIBIT BURNING TIRES OR EVEN PUTTING THEM IN LANDFILLS."
So what is the environmentally and economically sound idea--- grind them up and spread them all over kids' recreational fields.
Are you kidding me?????
Congressman Murphy, Governor Corbett, AG Kane, Smith, Miller, Fitzgerald, Steinhauer, Cappucci, Birks, Steinhauer, PASB, Teachers Union, PTA are all deaf, dumb and blind on this one and have nothing to say.
Yeah they worry about our kids... bullshit! It's too toxic for them because it might jeopordize their political health. Screw the kids.
12:12 PM, you know what one member of the media told me? Protests make headlines, not going to commission meetings. Is that what we have become?
I learned that playing by the rules got me nowhere.
Elaine
That may be true, look at the coverage Linfante got with "What the Kluck."
She didn't contribute any brilliant ideas to make Lebo a better place, just bitched about the people trying to do something.
We can't count on them to protest because they are the ones pushing the turf project!
The unreasonable ones always prevail in Mt. Lebanon.
Elaine
You can't count on the anti-turfers to protest because they're probably too busy working to put food on their families tables.
The pro-turfer PTA lemmings On the other hand can always grab their Starbucks Mocha lattes to go and que up for the latest pr agenda.
http://m.patriotledger.com/article/20140904/News/140908659
"Hingham panel rejects including artificial turf field in middle school project"
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/01/state_rejects_artificial_turf.html
"
"State rejects artificial turf at Trenton Central H.S."
http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2013/11/12/voters-reject-artificial-turf-in-three-states/
"Washington, DC — One under-the-radar pattern in last week’s elections was voters turning down new artificial turf fields, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Besides these local setbacks, a federal safety agency is reviewing “possible enforcement action” against turf makers for marketing their lead-laden products to young children.
In the November 5th elections, voters in New Jersey, Vermont, and Maine all turned back efforts to fund artificial turf fields:
In northern New Jersey, voters in Glen Ridge rejected two related referenda to authorize purchase and installation of artificial athletic fields in the borough. This was the second time in six years that Glen Ridge voters have spurned a turf referendum;
In Vermont, voters defeated a $1.5 million bond to fund replacing two of the seven grass athletic fields at suburban Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg with artificial turf; and
In Maine, voters in Freeport, Durham and Pownal townships supported a bond to renovate the local high school but voted down a separate bond measure to pay for a synthetic turf field and track at the school.
“Artificial turf does not solve the solid waste disposal headache of used tires; it merely transfers the problem of ultimate disposal from private interests to taxpayers and school boards,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that there are now an estimated 4,000 synthetic turf fields in the U.S. “These fields carry a big price tag but have short expected lives of only 10 to 15 years.”
In all three elections, opposition focused not just on the high price of the artificial fields but on growing environmental and safety questions. Artificial turf fields are typically made of a synthetic grass-like material sitting atop between 20,000 and 40,000 shredded tires, depending upon the size of the field, used as “in-fill.” There are no barriers between the tire crumb in-fill and athletes who pick up tire bits in their shoes, clothing, hair and ears. In addition, there are growing concerns about chemical off-gassing, as well as dangerous temperature levels on fields that can become super-heated.
At the same time, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has agreed to review whether artificial turf sold for use in playgrounds and day-care centers should be lead-free. Applying this standard would outlaw commonly used fill of shredded tires or mulch rubber. The CPSC has asked its Office of Compliance and Field Operations for “review and determination of whether any enforcement action is appropriate” in response to a complaint filed by PEER this August that products such as TotTurf and KidWise Outdoor Products are clearly marketed as a children’s product and therefore must be lead-free.
“The law requires any products intended for children under age 14 to be lead-free.” Ruch added, pointing out that CPSC rules only apply to lead but ignore other dangerous chemicals in shredded tires including arsenic, benzene, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, mercury, carbon black and aromatic hydrocarbons. “The long-term effect of exposing children, especially very young children, to these toxic materials in an environmentally accessible form is not fully understood but common sense suggests it should be avoided.”"
Yeah but here in Lala Land we're calling artificially turfed fields "Crown Jewels!"
Yes, our PA DEP can't find any reason to reject turf and our two local state representatives won't find the time to get involved in the issue.
1:47 PM, I guess you read Comment 14 and the DEP Response. "No compelling evidence was submitted to demonstrate that toxins will be released from the crumb rubber interspersed in the turf."
Submitting it here did no good. Submitting it to the commission did no good. Submitting it to the Sports Advisory Board did no good. And we obviously couldn't count on the DEP to do some research. Why is it up to private citizens to do all the legwork? Brumfield, Bendel, and Linfante couldn't even find their own way to contact the DEP! They asked Dan Miller to contact them. Rep. Miller was surprised that I heard before the commissioners did. My team worked on this all summer long, while the trolls said that I don't produce facts, just make personal attacks.
Mt. Lebanon is being run by bullies. It doesn't pay to be reasonable with anyone anymore.
Elaine
Someone emailed this link to me privately. Hazardous organic chemicals in rubber recycled tire playgrounds and pavers
It says that rubber pavers are bad too, yet when I requested that the rubber pavers be replaced in Rockwood Park, Linfante went ballistic. But she has no problem raising taxes to kill deer, even when the deer related accidents have declined since last year and evidence has been provided to the commission which warning that lethal methods are...well, lethal. More unreasonable people prevail.
On Friday, I filed a police report over the email where Kathy Hrabovsky and Kristen Linfante were joking about igniting me, since neither will apologize. Unreasonable people prevail in Mt. Lebanon.
Elaine
I hope whomever sent you that article Elaine, also sent it to the media, and all the elected officials state and local!
The only way this is going to be resolved is by hounding them.
It would be nice, 3:27 PM, but it is doubtful. I appreciate all the articles that are sent to me from readers, but I'm finding that, that is as far as it goes. I wish more would take that extra step.
I am willing to bet that a comment will be submitted saying, "What's the point? The commissioners ignore emails." Followed by, "This is what happens when you don't vote." That is how the script usually goes here.
Elaine
Public protest next Saturday. Let's do it. At the fields. I can bring my 5-year-old and 2-year-old twins for extra illustration of the kid factor.
Weather should be nice.
I have to tell you--it's when The Newcomer's were a day away from planning to block Washington Road that the commissioners (partially) backed down and made deals.
Yeah, it shouldn't have to be that way. But that's the way it IS.
- Jason M.
Obviously MTL and pa are corrupt. Call the epa and sit down with an investigator. This NPDES process and pest is not legit. When the problems were revealed In the NOI, the permit, by law, should have been denied.
Jason, do you think we could get a LeboALERT for this? ;)
Elaine
Elaine, all we have to do is get "FakeLebo" to mock it on Facebook, and we will get all the press we will need!
Truth is--the only way to strike the vapid is square in their image of themselves. Public humiliation WILL win this.
- Jason M.
Jason, just be aware that you are running the risk of looking like a chump. This is what the trolls live for, hoping for failure. Then you'll get the people who refuse to go along with anything that is suggested here, even though they are my most faithful readers.
Make sure you personally invite the commissioners since most of them "don't read the blog."
Elaine
Good idea, Jason! Let's do this even if its just the two of us.
Count me in, what time?
Morgans is calling in the SWAT team for Saturday - for crowd control......
Bring gas masks if you have them. Make signs. Call the news. Relax Elaine. We got this.
Elaine I'll take off work! But next Saturday won't allow to get the media there and everything organized. We should have seniors protesting the waste of tax $$$s. We should have the environmental people protesting the environmental harm. The sports mom & dads protesting the risks to their kids. Dick's needs to be shamed too! We need more than 10-15 people... We need to flood the place!
Elaine. You do not look like a chump and nor would Jason. The chumps are people who know about your blog and refuse to read it because they are afraid of what they might learn. Thanks for all the help u have provided in this town.
5:35 if the law was broken wouldn't the AG be the contact?
Too bad she's playin' politics and going after dirty cartoons and nudie pictures in emails.
Some PA house members accepting cash isn't a problem, but dirty picturrs are.
7:47 nice try. the epa enforces violations of npdes permitting when the dep cheats.
Thanks, 7:29 PM. If anyone wants to help Jason, email me at EGillen476@aol.com and I will pass it on to Jason.
Elaine
7:16 PM, the permit was granted on Thursday and neighbors were notified on Friday. Construction is starting tomorrow. Surely, the media can handle six days notice, don't you think?
Elaine
What time Jason?
I saw a good protest on Sat. The protestors all had on orange tshirts and had whistles around their necks that they blew after their chants and intermittently. They also had signs and they took up 4 corners at a busy intersection.
8:36 I wasn't trying anything.
It has always been my assumption that the AG is the top pursuer when laws are broken in the state.
If that isn't the case I stand corrected.
What time? I will come.
I'm hearing 10:00 AM on Saturday morning. I will post more as I get details.
Elaine
Nope, I was wrong. It will be held Sunday morning since the Halloween Parade will be on Saturday. It would have been a conflict for commissioners and school board directors. I haven't heard what time, my guess it will be 10 or 11. As soon as I am told more, I will pass on the information here.
Elaine
I do care about the protest but I am really disgusted with the DEP. They said that the grass fields are impermeable since Gateway said so and that calculations could make that assumption.
But our entire stormwater fee is based on the assumption that grass is permeable and concrete/buildings aren't. We are being totally taken--totally. And they are getting away with it.
So... That means the "Water Tax" is invalid and citizens no longer have to pay it? They can't have it both ways. Come on lawyers HELP! We need to push these idiot commissioners to the curb.
Lawyers, what about the people that took an oath to uphold the state Constitution.
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