Hi nature-lovers,
On Tuesday, January 28, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will vote on an ordinance that would prevent the County from installing new artificial turf on County-owned property. Artificial turf (plastic grass) causes microplastic pollution and exposure to PFAS “forever chemicals,” as well as causing more player injuries than natural grass. Please email the Supervisors and tell them to vote for this ban and improve sustainability in our county!
What’s Happening
Santa Clara County is considering adopting a partial ban on artificial turf. This ban would apply only to property owned by the County – not to any sports fields owned by schools or city parks, or to privately owned homes or businesses. In addition, the ordinance includes an exemption for County-owned land where an existing lease requires the continued use of artificial turf. It also only bans new installation or replacement of artificial turf – it does not require removal of existing turf.
Unfortunately, the artificial turf industry and some sports organizations have mounted a huge campaign to oppose the ordinance. As a result, many families mistakenly believe that this ordinance would require ripping out existing artificial turf sports fields, or that it would apply to all sports fields everywhere in the County, which could drastically affect playing time availability. When the Supervisors first considered this ordinance last summer, many people emailed and spoke to beg them not to approve the ordinance due to this mistaken belief.
The truth is that there are only a handful of sites which contain County-owned land with artificial turf, and most of those fall under the existing lease exemption. There is a proposal to create new sports fields at the County Fairgrounds site, and the ordinance would apply to those if approved.
Why It Matters
Artificial turf can be more accurately described as “plastic grass.” The plastic material degrades over time, creating microplastics that are washed into storm drains and out into the ocean where they impact marine species. And the chemicals used in artificial turf are known as “forever chemicals” because they never break down. Artificial turf has the dubious distinction of being something that will linger on this planet forever. Considering that as a playing surface, artificial turf only lasts 8-10 years before it must be hauled to a landfill and replaced, that is a very short usable lifespan compared to the millions of years this product will stay in our environment.
Artificial turf is not even a superior playing surface. It results in more player injuries than natural grass fields, and it reaches temperatures during hot days that make it hazardous to use. As climate change accelerates, there will be more and more days of extreme heat, meaning there will be more and more days when artificial turf playing fields will be unusable. Supervisor Otto Lee’s office has created an FAQ on artificial turf with more information.
While this ordinance is extremely limited in its impact, even this modest action will serve as a first step towards encouraging other counties and cities to consider enacting their own bans.
What You Can Do
Please email the Supervisors and tell them to vote for the artificial turf ordinance!
