A battle is brewing over artificial turf in the South Bay, but a decision by county leaders will have to wait until next year.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors decided this past spring to study the effects of artificial turf on county land. The concern is that it could be more harmful to the environment and people than originally thought.
On Tuesday, supervisors postponed a vote until January on whether or not to ban artificial turf in the county or place restrictions on its use. The board said it wants more community outreach and a deeper look at studies on the turf before it makes a final decision.
Those who support the ban include environmental groups and the Santa Clara County Medical Association, which says chemicals in the fake grass have been linked to cancer.
Linda Hutchins-Knowles is part of Mothers Out Front Silicon Valley -- a nationwide group advocating for what it calls “a livable climate for all children” -- and she supports a ban on artificial turf.
“It causes more injuries but what concerns me the most is the toxic chemical, the soup of chemicals that’s in it,” she said. “And you still have to maintain it. It’s a myth that you don’t have to maintain it. You have to wash it periodically to clean it, you have to water it to cool it down. And if you use natural grass, you don’t have to continuously replace it. If you maintain it well, you could have it last for decades.”
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But many sports groups strongly disagree.
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They point out artificial turf has evolved with safer surfaces and eco-friendly materials.
Shea Salinas coaches youth soccer team the Santa Clara Lions that plays on artificial turf at Reed and Grant Sports Park in San Jose.
He says a ban is unfair to all the youngsters clamoring to play sports.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t enough fields to fit them all. And if we do have fields. We have really poor grass parks that are lumpy and bumpy and hard to maintain, and so this ban would hurt the ability to produce more fields in the Bay Area,” he said. “So fields like this, we pack in seven to eight teams a night, every hour, we’re practicing on these fields.”
The study given to supervisors from the public health department acknowledges some health risks from artificial turf but says conclusions are mixed and don’t provide a strong argument for or against artificial turf.
Many other youth coaches say they feel caught in the middle.
“I’m on both sides. I support both sides, but at the end of the day, I want what is good for the kids and the coaches as well,” said Joseph Amoah, OV Toros FC training director.
Although Mothers Out Front is not interested in any compromise, many people say they do hope for some kind of compromise rather than an outright ban.
