2009-over 1 billion pounds of rubber tire waste to be used in synthetic turf this year!

On Feb 19, 2009, at 9:10 AM, Huang, Albert wrote:

We're still working on the local front here in NYC on getting good legislation passed that would require environmental/health review when selecting, installing, and removing turf. Also want to require monitoring of new and existing turf. Due to our pressure, the NYC Parks Dept is no longer using tire crumb rubber or rubber infill in their turf fields. We're waiting for samplin results from 80 other fields. As you may know, this December, the City shut down a tire crumb field when they found high levels of lead.

Thanks,
Al

From: Mary Swan Bell [mailto:swanbell@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 6:26 PM
To: Huang, Albert
Subject: Fwd: 2009- over 1 billion pounds of rubber tire waste to be used in synthetic turf this year!


Dear Al,

Knowing that another 124 million square feet of artificial turf to be installed in 2009 is unbelievable.  Where is the NRDC on this? 

Mary

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http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=302883
TOP STORY

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2008
Turf wars rage over fake grass
By Eric Kelderman, Stateline.org Staff Writer



"At the current growth rate, the turf council estimates that more than 124 million square feet of artificial turf will be installed in 2009, as the industry targets athletic fields at the more than 45,000 colleges, high schools and middle schools in the United States. Most of the synthetic turf varieties now being used use crumb-rubber from waste tires, sometimes mixed with sand."





According to fieldturf.com, ten pounds of rubber wasteare in every square foot of synthetic turf.  That means  a staggering  1,240,000,000 pounds of crushed rubber particulate waste could be placed on playing fields this year alone!