At least one town has opted to put a turf project on hold over health and environmental concerns. In Sharon, Mass., officials imposed a three-year moratorium on the installation of artificial turf.
Like other towns, Sharon has faced pressure to repair crumbling athletic fields. In 2019, the town’s school committee requested the installation of a synthetic football field at Sharon High School, but local advocates pushed back and were successful. In May 2020, the Sharon Conservation Commission rejected the field, and the moratorium followed several months later.
“We went on the warpath,” said Paul Lauenstein, a local advocate who works on water issues.
Residents said that decision was reached due to a range of concerns, like microplastics, crumb rubber and other pollutants associated with such fields. But PFAS were a major factor.
Then, Sharon opted to try something different: experiment with reviving grass fields.
Sharon is working with Ian Lacy, a consultant with an extensive background in both natural and synthetic turf fields. Lacy said the town’s grass fields could be improved through a number of steps, like properly managing drainage and soils. Two fields were ultimately selected as pilot projects to test whether more intensive upkeep would make them more resilient.
“Suffice to say, the fields have improved,” said Lacy, who feels that both synthetic and natural surfaces can have different advantages for athletes. While Lacey has clients on “both sides of the argument,” he emphasized that success has more to do with a commitment to upkeep.
“This is an investment, and you have to sustain that investment,” he said.
With the moratorium lifting next year, Sharon will once again have to decide if it wants to stick to natural grass for good. Lauenstein and other advocates are hopeful that the pilot projects prove it can work for their community.
“The idea is to demonstrate that natural grass can be serviceable,” said Lauenstein. “We don’t have to buy a million-dollar field with 40 tons of plastic.”
