For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Taylor.McFarland@sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Urges National Park Service to Protect Thomas Edison Park
The Sierra Club, New Jersey Chapter submitted comments to the National Park Service urging them to prevent Middlesex County’s massive artificial turf development proposal for Thomas Edison Park. The park already has several playing fields, over a dozen tennis courts, a running track, baseball fields, and a parking lot for 300 cars. Middlesex County’s proposal includes building 14 new artificial turf sports fields, 16 tennis courts, parking for 1,350 cars, and more.
“Middlesex County’s proposal for Thomas Edison Park will have significant land use impacts, increase impervious cover, increase flooding, reduce public access, and more. Natural grass playing fields and open spaces should not be replaced with toxic synthetic turf that has been found to create significant environmental and public health issues,” said Taylor McFarland, Conservation Program Manager, NJ Sierra Club. “The Sierra Club, NJ Chapter, supports responsible and sustainable recreation. There are safer alternatives that can provide more recreation opportunities for residents, athletes, and more that must be considered.”
Adding 14 new artificial sports fields on Thomas Edison Park equates to 32 acres of synthetic turf and 7 million pounds of plastic. A regular-sized artificial turf field contains 500,000 pounds of plastic, which results in microplastic shedding into the environment. On a warm day, synthetic turf radiates more heat than a plant-based surface, leading to extreme temperatures and contributing to the heat island effect. A synthetic turf field lasts 8 to 10 years on average. Thousands of pounds of infill and plastic carpet must be removed and replaced at disposal. Mixed plastic waste, such as synthetic turf, is not recyclable using conventional methods. Therefore, they are typically sent to landfills, where they will remain for centuries.
“Thomas Edison Park’s natural grass fields should not be converted to artificial turf. We urge the National Park Service to pursue safer alternatives for the park that can responsibly accommodate active recreation while protecting our health, environment, and overall access to the park. Middlesex County should use natural grass fields that can be used for multiple purposes, reduce the parking lot size, and retain the 11 acres of woodlands in order to preserve habitat and green space,” said Taylor McFarland, Conservation Program Manager, NJ Sierra Club.
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