February 26, 2024
Mountain View City Hall
500 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
Dear Mayor Showalter, Vice Mayor Matichak, and Councilmembers,
As the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter’s Chair for Plastic Pollution Prevention efforts, I encourage Mountain View to join the cities of Millbrae and San Marino, to add either a ban or long term moratorium on artificial turf within Mountain View’s jurisdictional boundaries.
I understand this year’s work plan is nearing finalization, so perhaps the above-mentioned ban or moratorium can become part of the work plan.
- Artificial turf is a plastic petroleum product, and its manufacture and entire lifecycle pollutes our air and water.
- Unlike plants, it cuts off air and light from the soil, therefore it doesn’t sequester carbon.
- As plastics degrade, microplastics permeate the air and soil and wash into our watersheds. Microplastics are now found in the food we eat and even in newborns.
- The turf industry admits turf is not recyclable; it’s comprised of layers of different petroleum products that can’t be separated. After its 10-year lifespan, it’s buried in a landfill or incinerated, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. Even the most “advanced” “chemical” recycling causes more pollution than was caused during the plastic’s original production.
- Plastic in sunlight heats up, causing heat islands that can be seen from satellites in space. The San Francisco Estuary Institute’s Moffett Park Specific Plan Urban Ecology satellite images (p. 16-17) show the urban heat island effect causing “synthetic turf fields at Twin Creeks Sports Complex <to have> the highest surface temperatures” seen in the area on September 2, 2017
- The heat island effect, in turn, causes our kids to overheat on hot days while playing on the artificial turf.
- Artificial turf surfaces are harder than natural grass or even dirt, and when our kids fall on it they are more likely to have lower limb injuries, and those injuries, overall, are likely to be more severe than similar injuries on a grass field.
- Artificial turf plastics are mixed with specialized, proprietary chemicals, like PFAS, that come with their own set of public health harms. The EPA has taken notice, and water intended for drinking will now need new methods for removing PFAS and other chemicals.
In short, artificial turf has no place in our landscapes or on our playgrounds. There are drought tolerant plants and high traffic, long-playing natural sports-grasses available.
I urge the Council to join the cities of Millbrae and San Marino in banning or placing a long-term moratorium on artificial turf in Mountain View. Given the reputation of Mountain View as a leader in environmental protection, we are confident it will lead among Bay Area cities, becoming the next city after Millbrae to ban this toxic substance.
Sincerely,
Susan Hinton
Chair, Plastic Pollution Prevention Team
Environmental Stewardship Program
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter