A draft regulation that would ban artificial turf in Oak Bluffs is set for discussion by the town board of health Tuesday, adding another new wrinkle to ongoing debate around a plan by the high school to overhaul its athletic fields using turf.
A draft regulation that would ban artificial turf in Oak Bluffs is set for discussion by the town board of health Tuesday, adding another new wrinkle to the long-running and ongoing debate around a plan by the high school to overhaul its main athletic field using turf.
The controversial $7 million turf fields project at the high school was approved in a narrow vote by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in August after months of public hearings. The project is currently under review at the town level by the Oak Bluffs planning board, which has not yet voted on it.
The three-page draft rule banning artificial turf out of concern for PFAS contamination was provided to the Gazette by the board of health, after it first surfaced as a meeting agenda item posted on town website Friday.
The discussion is set to take place at an online meeting Tuesday at 10 a.m.
If adopted, the regulation would ban the “installation, storage and dumping of artificial turf containing PFAS,” on all property in the town.
Speaking to the Gazette by phone Monday, town health agent Meegan Lancaster emphasized that the board will not vote on the draft regulation, and would call a public hearing before any vote.
“This isn’t a public hearing,” Ms. Lancaster said. “This is a conversation about a draft regulation.”
The health agent also said the board of health has been talking with school officials about the potential for a regulation restricting artificial turf, citing environmental concern about PFAS, a large group of widely-used, slow-decomposing chemicals.
In an email to the Gazette Monday, board of health member James Butterick said concerns about the turf field began around August.
“This issue with the artificial turf field came to the attention of the board of health late in the whole process, like August of this year,” Mr. Butterick wrote. “At issue is the content of the artificial turf, namely PFAS compounds, which are rapidly becoming a contamination issue of significance.”
As written, the draft regulation would ban turf containing PFAS. It would not ban PFAS-free turf, defined as containing less than one part per million total organic fluorine as measured by combustion ion chromatography.
Total organic fluorine, Ms. Lancaster explained, is a marker used to identify PFAS. It identifies a broad spectrum of substances, but no one specific PFAS substance.
“The problem is they don’t have specific tests for all of them,” Ms. Lancaster said.
She said the draft regulation, including its definition of PFAS-free, is subject to change. She said there are three possible options if the draft eventually comes to a vote — it could be adopted as-is, altered or completely thrown away. If the a ban on turf is approved, she said it would “likely” affect the plans at the high school.
“It’s a draft,” Ms. Lancaster said. “It’s not written in stone.”
Comments
Jim ... Really? “This issue
CH Oak BluffsJim ... Really? “This issue with the artificial turf field came to the attention of the board of health late in the whole process, like August of this year,” Mr. Butterick wrote. The board of Health had no idea about PFAS prior to August 2021? Not expressing an opinion one way or the other - but a lot of time, money and emotional sweat & tears has gone into getting the project this far and if OB has a mind to ban the substance that really could/should have been discussed a long time ago.
I agree CH. The town already
Islander61 OBI agree CH. The town already has an application in for this project and has been in front of the planning board and they only made one change. Nothing like moving the goal posts. This project has been professionally vetted by the commission far beyond any other project on the island, at the expense of the taxpayer no less. The Town of OB has known about it for years and now the health department wants to get involved? Will the town now regulate the use of all materials used in any building project in the town? What about the affordable housing projects going up? This will increase PFAS in the water table and this has been proven. As we have learned, any septic system over the watershed is going to produce more PFAS that will harm the watershed. This project the professionals have tested and tested and they have reported that the materials being used in the field are safe and will not harm the watershed. You even had a specialist brought in by the MVC saying the nitrogen used to fertilize the field is more dangerous to our ponds than this field. See the article recently in the local paper about the nitrogen being leached into Great Pond by septic systems and fertilizer. The naysayers have yet to bring in any science saying that THIS field will be dangerous. The "professionals" they brought in brought no science as related to THIS project. There are thousands of fields like this across the country, heck, even Nantucket has one. Approve the project please and follow the science that has been provided by experts on THIS field.
I want my child to play
BS OAK BLUFFSI want my child to play sports on real grass. The type of field you play on does not determine your success as an athlete. Hard work and natural ability do.
The aquifer doesn't abide to
Gabrielle West TisburyThe aquifer doesn't abide to town boundaries to endanger polluting it for the benefit of a few is incredibly short-sighted. Imagine if you had to worry if your water was safe? Im impressed by those who are
vociferously in support who are on town water.
Thank you to the Planning
native mv mvThank you to the Planning Board and Board of Health members for raising concerns before this contaminant is installed. It should be banned once and for all. Thankfully, in spite of the "emotional sweat and tears", the environment will be spared this irreversible damage.
This is ridiculous. How many
Tisbury newbie TisburyThis is ridiculous. How many student athletes have graduated while the adults continue to study their navel?
Whoever is pushing for this
Charlie Callahan So Boston/EdgartownWhoever is pushing for this turf is probably connected to whoever is going to do it. Anyone thought about that.That's usually why things get pushed thru around. They make it sound like it's for the good of the kids,it's good for someones bottom line
When we are done with the
KAC Martha’s VineyardWhen we are done with the turf, years from now, how do we recycle this kind of plastic?
How can an artificial turf
Jim S.How can an artificial turf field even be on the table at this point with all we know about plastics, and specifically how toxic artificial turf is.
Thank you to the Oak Bluffs
Thomas Bena ChilmarkThank you to the Oak Bluffs Board of Health for thinking about the health and wellness of our community and our island home.
a lot of these kids, are
mike Marthas vineyarda lot of these kids, are maybe going on to college, and if they are playing sports, they more than likely be playing on fake turf.
The Massachusetts law
Joanna ChilmarkThe Massachusetts law granting powers to local Boards of Health is very broad. If the OB BOH (after opportunity for public comment) decides to ban artificial turf, because of PFAS or any other health/environmental reason, such a ban may be tough to overturn. The BOH can decide how they view the various PFAS arguments and vote accordingly. In general, administrative decisions that fall within the power of that entity can be overturned only based on a high legal standard like "arbitrary and capricious."
In other words, the OB BOH has wide discretion to regulate the installation of artificial turf in their town.
This provision, for example, may apply:
"Section 122. The board of health shall examine into all nuisances, sources of filth and causes of sickness within its town, or on board of vessels within the harbor of such town, which may, in its opinion, be injurious to the public health, shall destroy, remove or prevent the same as the case may require, and shall make regulations for the public health and safety relative thereto and to articles capable of containing or conveying infection or contagion or of creating sickness brought into or conveyed from the town or into or from any vessel. Whoever violates any such regulation shall forfeit not more than one thousand dollars."
MA General Law-Part I-Title XVI-chapter 111-Section 122
I think that if the board of
Mr. B ChilmarkI think that if the board of health is concerned about PFAS, then they should draft legislation that reflected that concern, rather that present a draft focused on a single product containing the PFAS.
If you want athletes with
august west edgartownIf you want athletes with injuries, put in the artificial turf.
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