BILL NUMBER: S6868

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
prohibiting the installation or replacement of synthetic turf at outdoor
athletic fields or outdoor athletic facilities owned or operated by
municipalities or school districts

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

§ _37-0122._Synthetic_turf;_prohibited.

1.After January first,two thousand twenty-six, synthetic turf shall not
be used in the installation or replacement of outdoor athletic fields or
outdoor athletic facilities owned or operated by munici- palities or
school districts in the state.

2.For the purposes of this section, "synthetic turf" means any materials
or compositions that are historically used in place of natural grass.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
              

 
PURPOSE AND JUSTIFICATION:

Synthetic turf is made up of several layers on top of natural soil.
There is typically a stone foundation layer made up of compacted crushed
concrete of granite, a plastic shock-absorbing layer to soften the
ground, a synthetic fabric layer to prevent weeds, a plastic carpet
layer to hold the artificial grass in place, a rubber layer to keep the
artificial grass upright, and a layer of plastic grass fibers comprised
of nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, and synthetic
rubber. The most common and cost-effective infill is crumb rubber, which
is comprised of shredded recycled tires. Other alternatives include
thermoplastic elastomers, waste athletic shoes, acrylic-coated sand,
coconut fibers, cork, and sand.

In recent years, many school districts have opted to install synthetic
turf fields in place of natural grass fields. Proponents of synthetic
turf believe that it is less expensive to maintain than natural grass,
and the health of the grass can suffer if the fields are overused or
improperly cared for. In 2020, the value of the synthetic turf market
was estimated at $2.7 billion, and it is expected to double by 2027.2

In a 2018 report, Yale University researchers examined 15 samples of
rubber mulch commonly used by children and athletes on synthetic turf
fields. They extracted 92 compounds from the mulch samples. Of the
compounds, 46 do not have any information about their impact on human
health, 20 are known irritants that can cause breathing problems, and 9
are carcinogenic.

In addition to containing harmful materials, synthetic turf can also
cause higher rates of lower extremity injury. In a study published in
the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2019, researchers found that
NFL athletes who played on synthetic turf had a 16% increase in lower
extremity injuries per play than on natural grass. This is because
synthetic surfaces lack the ability to release a football cleat when a
player's foot is in a potentially injurious situation.  This results in
the generation of greater shear force and torque in the foot, ankle, and
or foot.

Because synthetic turfs contain carcinogenic compounds and increase the
chances of a lower extremity injury, they are clearly not safe for our
children to play on. This legislation will protect our children by
banning the installation or replacement of synthetic turf on outdoor
athletic fields or facilities operated by municipalities or school
districts in the state of New York.  This bill does not apply to pending
contracts.

 
EXISTING LAW:

None.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.