Potentially Toxic Dust Cloud at MCPS HS from Artifical Turf Field Installation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they just grow grass? It's no that hard. it's a weed.

Had you been to a grass MCPS field? Even in HS they are so overused and not maintained (unless your PTA takes care of it- Churchill). You get holes and huge mud puddles. Not safe for our student athletes.

And the MS and ES fields are gravel and mud within 2 years (even the brand new fields get this way within a couple years). Again, overuse and not enough maintenance.

The turf fields are cheaper in the long run, and now that they are not using the rubber tire filler, it is much better.

But hey, living leads to dying so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It IS a real issue. These fields are horrible for the environment, and detrimental to kids health

This

[Anonymous]

The ignorance is incredible. Grass fields can’t withstand the level of play we need in this densely populated area. One synthetic field can withstand the play of 5-8 grass fields.

Are you interested in restricting sports; which will contribute to the obesity epidemic we are experiencing? Or cut down trees to accommodate new fields? Not all synthetic turf fields are toxic, so before you protest something take the time to learn about the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ignorance is incredible. Grass fields can’t withstand the level of play we need in this densely populated area. One synthetic field can withstand the play of 5-8 grass fields.

Are you interested in restricting sports; which will contribute to the obesity epidemic we are experiencing? Or cut down trees to accommodate new fields? Not all synthetic turf fields are toxic, so before you protest something take the time to learn about the issue.

Maybe something to consider when the people who are so aggressively pushing high density housing for MoCo are raving about the benefits.

It’s not always ideal to cram more people and more students into an already densely populated area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they just grow grass? It's no that hard. it's a weed.

Had you been to a grass MCPS field? Even in HS they are so overused and not maintained (unless your PTA takes care of it- Churchill). You get holes and huge mud puddles. Not safe for our student athletes.

And the MS and ES fields are gravel and mud within 2 years (even the brand new fields get this way within a couple years). Again, overuse and not enough maintenance.

The turf fields are cheaper in the long run, and now that they are not using the rubber tire filler, it is much better.

But hey, living leads to dying so...

The RM field is the same as the one going in at BCC, so SUCK IT UP KIDS!!!

PUBLIC COMMENTS
BEFORE THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
July 11, 2019

RE: RICHARD MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL’S DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS ARTIFICIAL TURF
FROM: JOSEPH P KING, STUDENT

Good evening members of the Board of Education and Superintendent Smith. My name is JOEY King and I am a student from Julius West. My brother is on the Richard Montgomery Football Team and I am here to speak on his behalf since he is at health class this morning.

Since football practice is about to start again, we have all been talking about various home-made padding that we may be able to use to protect his skin, elbows, and legs when practice starts again and during the season.

We were talking about the reports that you also heard about last month at this meeting and also about testimony that you heard last year school year from Molly Winchenbach from the Soccer Team. It seems sad to know that there still hasn’t been commitment by the County to do anything about this during the summer before all the athletes are back on the field. “Looking into it,” was the answer that was given at the last meeting but that is not a good enough answer and probably wouldn’t be one that our teachers would accept if we tried that.

MCPS has already sent out samples of the turf and found clear reasons for the difference between our
field and the other field at Whitman that was replaced recently. This has been known since February.
Can you please tell me, today, a reason that this is being ignored?

• RM’s field is four times the FIFA standard!

Can you please tell me, as I am sure you have found out by now, what was the reason for this?
Who is responsible?
When is it going to be fixed?

MCPS has already verified what was obvious: there is something very wrong with the RM turf and the injuries are too many.
What are you going to do about it?

The band-aid that MCPS came up with last spring did not work. The injuries have continued.
Not only are you putting their bodies in danger, you are also putting their futures at risk because their
ability to perform is affected. It is unfair for the players that have worked so hard to have their
opportunities for college scholarship potentially affected due to MCPS not choosing to do the right thing here.

This cannot be the outcome with which you are satisfied.

I have heard that MCPS is in the investigating the replacement of all or most of the fill in RM’s turf all at once over the summer but, since I haven’t heard more, I am afraid that you have decided to not allocate funds or energy for us.

For the sake of my teammates, I am asking you to ensure this remediation gets done immediately.
Please. Do you agree that you owe it to the students whose health and safety you say are your top
priority.

You know, for fact, that this turf is 4x the standard for abrasiveness.
You know the reasons why it is so abrasive.
You know what you need to do to fix it.
Don’t waste anymore time while more students get hurt.

Please. Do it now.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/bethesda/dust-cloud-bethesda-chevy-chase-high-school-turf/65-f44b3c43-375c-44b5-b3b5-58358d615f93

Bad enough for the neighborhood, probably worse for the workers!

Welcome to Montgomery County - land of the ultimate environmentalists!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finally a chance for me to write my favorite word from the dictionary: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

I love this word!

[Anonymous]

For the poster who felt the need to repost the entire testimony before the board of education on the Richard Montgomery field (mom?) you should know that MCPS and the vendor fixed that field. And they changed the way they layer the infill on the turf fields so that Einstein and Whitman and now Julius West are being done differently, correctly. This will not be an issue going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they just grow grass? It's no that hard. it's a weed.

Had you been to a grass MCPS field? Even in HS they are so overused and not maintained (unless your PTA takes care of it- Churchill). You get holes and huge mud puddles. Not safe for our student athletes.

And the MS and ES fields are gravel and mud within 2 years (even the brand new fields get this way within a couple years). Again, overuse and not enough maintenance.

The turf fields are cheaper in the long run, and now that they are not using the rubber tire filler, it is much better.

But hey, living leads to dying so...

Turf fields are full of carcinogens, they have no give with many ankle and knee tears. They also run extremely hot and kids have gotten 2nd degree burnsvon them.

Not taking care of a field is the counties issue. Having only one field is an issue. Most schools outside of MC have multiple fields for girls and boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the poster who felt the need to repost the entire testimony before the board of education on the Richard Montgomery field (mom?) you should know that MCPS and the vendor fixed that field. And they changed the way they layer the infill on the turf fields so that Einstein and Whitman and now Julius West are being done differently, correctly. This will not be an issue going forward.

That doesnt help all the previous injuries. Many were bad.

It also doesn’t remove carcinogens

[Anonymous]

I am so upset to read this. I had no idea about turf fields and my son just began playing twice per week for this fall on a turf field. Im going to have such anxiety over this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so upset to read this. I had no idea about turf fields and my son just began playing twice per week for this fall on a turf field. Im going to have such anxiety over this

Channel your anxiety into figuring out the type of field. If it is crumb rubber you have reason to worry. If it is organic or new polymer infill you are fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Channel your anxiety into figuring out the type of field. If it is crumb rubber you have reason to worry. If it is organic or new polymer infill you are fine.

We have a winner! And guess what? The new fields are fine!

Janis, can you please figure out something constructive to do with your time? Fingerpointing/blaming all the time without coming up with real solutions or working to solve problems is not helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they just grow grass? It's no that hard. it's a weed.

Messy, love the turf

[Anonymous]