Ted Anagnos: Should our children be playing on hazardous material?

Dear Members of the Mt Greylock School Committee,

I would first like to thank you for the open forum that was offered to us Monday evening. I can't imagine how daunting this task must have been for the Phase II Subcommittee. I attended the forum with an open mind and not much of an opinion on either side of the debate.

Within an hour of sitting there - after I sifted through the fluff and got down to the nitty-gritty - there was no doubt that organic fields is the best answer not only for my athletic children who will be entering 8th grade, but Mt. Greylock students for decades to come.

The take-aways in my eyes were:

1. When point blanked, Justin Robertshaw stated that removal costs were not factored into the bottom line.

2. Mr. Robertshaw also stated the material being removed, the same material children will be playing on, would be treated as hazardous waste.

3. Further more, Mr. Robertshaw kept referencing a "10 year study", but when questioned he confirmed it was a virtual or synthesized study not done on real people.

4. Peter Low's input drove home how much more susceptible the younger athletes are to their environment.

5. Nicholas Wright, an epidemiologist, cited reports that point to the fact that more injuries do occur on artificial turf than on natural grass. He did some homework in a field that he is well-versed in.

7. There was also the argument of more field use on the Mt. Greylock campus, but that was quickly negated by the fact that hot days would make the artificial turf unusable and there is no plan to plow the turf during the winter.

8. Lastly there was the cost, which seems to be a non-issue.

When I got home I did a quick search for artificial turf hazards and this is what I found on Mass.gov:

Q: Can I be exposed to chemicals while using Artificial Turf Field?

A: There are several possible ways to be exposed to the chemicals found in the crumb rubber:

    1. Breathing in volatile chemicals or dust particles generated from the crumb rubber.     2. Swallowing small amounts of crumb rubber either while playing on the fields, or afterward, if hands are not washed.     3. Skin contact with crumb rubber.

The bottom line is quite simple - if artificial turf and/or its components are considered hazardous waste when being disposed of, it’s not a stretch to consider it hazardous waste when being used by the children of our community.

How many years did it take before it was discovered that asbestos was hazardous?

Thank you for your time,

Ted Anagnos

Williamstown Resident & Mt. Greylock Parent