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06/20/2017 12:00 AMThe Board of Education (BOE) and the North Haven Middle School Building Committee (NHMSBC) held a joint workshop on June 7 to continue the discussion of turf fields with crumb rubber infill and the concerns that have been raised about them, and, as of right now, it looks like the project will move forward as planned.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Cronin said that after the workshop, he believes the board is content moving forward with the current plans, and doesn’t think there will be any further discussion on the issue.
NHMSBC Chairman Gary Johns said the committee had a general discussion after the workshop, and said it seemed like the BOE supported the direction the project was going in. He said the NHMSBC members didn’t feel any new information was brought forth at the workshop, and don’t see a reason to change direction.
Many topics were discussed at the workshop, including alternative infill products, studies done on the fields in regards to health concerns, and maintenance and warranty concerns. There was no public comment offered at the workshop.
Allen Hubbard, northeast sales manager of Sprinturf, was at the workshop to represent the turf field company and answer the board and committee’s questions and concerns. He said that Cool Fill, the infill product being used for the turf fields, is an acrylic-coated crumb rubber; the coating turns the rubber green, and can potentially reduce surface heat by 25 degrees on a hot day. He said the layer of coating essentially acts as sunscreen.
The ratio of infill will be about 60/40 mix of Cool Fill and sand, according to Hubbard, who added that Sprinturf has installed eight fields in Connecticut with the product last year.
“We do not manufacture infill. We purchase the infill from infill manufacturers, and we use the infill that the customer, the owner, the architect has selected for the project,” said Hubbard, “We have zero financial interest in any type of infill whatsoever, and really no preference.”
Hubbard said that the oldest turf field Sprinturf put down was in Clinton, which was done in 2011. He said there have been no problems or issues reported on the field, and nothing “out of the ordinary or unexpected” has been reported with any fields that have been installed in Connecticut.
Regarding maintenance, Hubbard said the fields need to be groomed after about 100 hours of play, and added that there will be some higher wear areas, such as around soccer or lacrosse goal posts.
He said that the turf of the fields will typically last 10 to 11 years before needing to be replaced, depending on how often it is used and how well it is maintained. He also said that Sprinturf will train maintenance personnel, and if that doesn’t work out, Sprinturf can be hired to do the maintenance work.
The fields come with an eight-year warranty backed by the company, and an additional eight-year warranty from a third party source in the event Sprinturf goes out of business.
Other alternative infill products were discussed, such as cork and coconut infill and Envirofill, a type of acrylic coated, large granular sand.
The major concern regarding those products was cost. Both would require an additional shock pad since the materials are not very resilient. The cork and coconut infill also has to maintain a certain moisture level, and if not maintained properly, could destroy the field, and would further escalate maintenance costs.
“I personally felt comfortable with our decision because I felt like it was a happy medium,” said David Mikos of the NHMSBC, regarding the committee’s selection of Cool Fill.
Quinnipiac Valley Health District Director Leslie Balch was also at the meeting, and said that screenings done on turf fields’ emissions so far show no elevated levels of health concerns, but did say there are some gaps in the studies. She also said those studies are not meant to encourage or discourage the use of fields, but are for information purposes.
Hubbard said that crumb rubber has very high safety standards for not just turf fields, but other uses as well. Balch also commented on the potential for MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a highly infectious bacteria).
“If [the field] is well maintained, and if any skin breaks are cared for, cleansed in a proper way, there shouldn’t be any concerns, and it’s not just MRSA, it’s any infection,” Balch said.
Some are still not convinced the turf fields are safe. BOE member Jennifer Caldwell said she watched her nephew go through leukemia, and said there is some evidence that soccer players playing on turf fields have had higher rates of leukemia. Whether it’s a connection or not, the concern is enough for her.
“My child would never get on one of those fields,” said Caldwell.
Concerned residents Danielle Morfi and Amanda Gabriele pointed out that contrary to what Hubbard said at the workshop, Sprinturf’s field maintenance guide states that turf fields should be groomed every 60 hours, not 100.
Also, the maintenance packet gives examples of how different sports count toward hours of play, such as one hour of football counting as three hours of play.
“The BOE seems to be taking these questions seriously,” said Gabriele, “However, the pattern of silencing concerned parents (no public comment televised at MSBC meetings, denying the petition to call a town meeting, and no public comment at this workshop) is undemocratic and dangerous.”
Morfi also questioned whether Cool Fill will actually lower the temperature of the field, saying that Sprinturf’s claims are unproven as the product’s patent is still pending.
Chandra Prasad, another concerned resident, questioned the accuracy of some of Balch’s statements during the meeting, and whether North Haven would be able to afford the replacement of the turf, which was estimated to be $800,000.
“Are carcinogen-laden fields really more important to our middle school children than books?” Prasad asked.
Michelle Serlin, a pediatrician, said that she believes the decision should wait for the comprehensive, independent study currently being done by the Environmental Protection Agency before moving forward with the fields, and that she was disappointed that gaps in research of the current studies seemed to be downplayed at the workshop.
“We must err on the side of caution when it comes to the safety of our children,” said Serlin.
Some residents have even created a website, North Haven Against Shredded Tire Infill (www.nhasti.com), which details their concerns.