by Frederic Putnam

Created on: April 08, 2009

As a Greenwich parent whose son spends countless hours on the synthetic turf at Greenwich High School, I feel that synthetic turf should continue to be utilized by the Town until research and science reveal that the turf poses unacceptable risks to our children. I have read several of the third-party studies on health risks posed by turf, and it appears to me that there exist no professional studies which conclude that the fields in Greenwich specifically pose risks for our sons and daughters. Currently, Greenwich High School, Greenwich Academy and Brunswick all have turf fields. Our Town has responsible decision makers whose constant charge is the safety of their students and athletes.

It bothers me that this discussion has reached a somewhat hysterical volume politically. Cool, unbiased and adult heads should focus on the research to date and the conclusions of that research. Our own Health Department, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Greenwich High School, the Board of Education, Brunswick and Greenwich Academy should all be consulted.

I am no expert on the voluminous research which has been undertaken on the safety of turf fields, but I have read several of the studies and newspaper articles cited during the current public discussion. I am aware of a large body of third party studies which have credibly concluded that turf fields, responsibly designed and installed, are safe. Among them are a report prepared for New York City, which has 77 synthetic fields and plans to install 23 more, by an outside consultant; by a Connecticut consulting firm for clients such as Yale; by Harvard which is installing several more fields; by the health departments of several states; and by Greenwich's own consultant. All reports conclude that the synthetic fields such as those in Greenwich are safe. I am not aware of any professional studies which conclude that synthetic fields like those in Greenwich, properly designed and installed, and subjected to the use for which it is intended, present health or safety risks to the users.

This is all to say that responsible adults appear from my perspective to be doing a responsible job to ensure that the current fields are safe for our kids. I would encourage the politicians to calm down, lower the rhetorical volume, and let research and science be our guide on the question of the safety of the turf fields. As Greenwich has too few athletic fields to begin with and little realistic probability of adding to the inventory, misguided public policies restricting or eliminating turf fields would be a devastating blow to all active recreation programs in the Town. The safety of the kids is a widely shared obligation which we all take seriously. When and if research and science concludes that there are unacceptable risks in turf fields, then appropriate steps should be taken. Until then, I hope that the Town can undertake this discussion in an open, unbiased and responsible manner.

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