Dear Mar Vista Recreation Center Community,

I’ve shared with many people who live in Mar Vista that our local plastic soccer field is hazardous to our health. The field is poisonous to humans, plants, water, and every single organism that lives in our community. Some of the community’s responses to hearing this news are:

“Someone else is in charge of that.”

“That’s terrible news.”

“Okay, what do we do next?”

I have seen many blank faces and speechless reactions after sharing that artificial turf is in part made from toxic shredded automobile tires, containing heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances aka PFASs (forever chemicals). The turf is derived from chemicals produced through the combustion of fossil fuels such as oil and gas.

The Mar Vista Rec Center’s artificial turf pollutes the homes of all the animals, plants, and fungi that reside in our neighborhood.

LA and the State of Califorina are moving away from toxic turf

In September, City Council voted unanimously to move away from the use of artificial turf, which contains these hazardous PFAS (forever chemicals). Various city departments are doing a “report back,” hopefully within 60-90 days, with recommendations on next steps.

The California Department of Toxic Substances is also moving forward with its own study on candidate chemicals in plastic grass. The turf is polluting not just those who play soccer; it’s harming our community’s natural ecosystem.

A brief history of artificial turf and the dangers it poses

According to Urban Farms LA, the Mar Vista Recreation Center’s artificial turf can be traced back to the turf’s 1960’s invention by none other than Monsanto. It was originally called “ChemGrass” and “later rebranded as Astroturf.”

Artificial turf harms the environment by:

• Suffocating soil and the billions of microorganisms living within it that are essential for our ecosystem.
• Increasing injury rates for athletes
• Accelerating the climate crisis by heating our homes and cities
• Emitting plastic turf toxins into the atmosphere during excessive heat
• Increasing the urban heat island effect and leading to thermal burns and heat stroke

We collectively made a mistake in installing the turf, and now is the moment for us to replace it. The Neighborhood Sustainability Alliance provided a FAQ for Los Angeles residents to learn about the hazard of artificial turf for our community.

• All artificial turf contains hazardous (PFAS) chemicals. PFAS or “forever chemicals” have been identified as carcinogens, neurotoxins, and hormone disruptors that can cause thyroid disease, decreased fertility, early puberty, impaired vaccine response, and are associated with learning and behavioral problems in infants and children, as well as a long list of cancers. PFAS microplastic exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal (skin) absorption. Children and athletes playing on artificial turf are subject to all three routes of exposure. PFAS chemicals bioaccumulate, and are therefore especially harmful to children who are still developing.
• Artificial turf is too hot, too hard, and may come with liability Issues. It can reach temperatures up to 80o higher than the air temperature, readily reaching 160oF or 180oF and more. This can lead to serious thermal burns and heat stress. Turf burns from friction and non-contact lower extremity injuries are also more frequent on synthetic grass. It has also been found to cause a “heat island effect,” raising the surrounding temperature in the local environment. Artificial turf uses an inordinate amount of water for cooling before use on hot days. With time, it can become extremely hard, increasing the risk of concussions. There are also liability risks – the EPA has begun issuing regulatory limits on some PFAS; California is proposing more stringent regulations, and there have been class action suits for contaminated water and exposure to artificial turf’s PFAS cancer-causing chemicals.
• Artificial turf pollutes local waters, soil, and air. Unlike natural grasses and surfaces, artificial turf is an impervious surface (per State of Calif and US EPA), negatively affecting the recharging of groundwater and increasing the risk of flooding. Stormwater run-off from artificial turf can cause PFAS to leach into groundwater, contaminating our drinking water. The EPA has recently reported there is no “safe” amount of PFAS for drinking water. Artificial turf sheds microplastics that pollute the soil and waterways, where they can end up in our oceans, never breaking down. The California Coastal Commission recently vetoed UC Santa Barbara’s proposed 3-acre artificial turf baseball field because of its negative impacts on water and mandated that they use natural grass. Artificial turf can’t be recycled and will end up in our landfills, where it will continue to pollute the environment. Artificial turf also off-gases ethylene and methane (contributing to the climate crisis) versus real grasses and plants, which serve as a carbon sink.
• Nothing lives in plastic grass. California is one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots with more native plant species than any other state in the U.S. Not only does artificial turf not support life, it actually kills the soil and the living organisms in it for generations to come. Artificial turf takes away habitat from insects, birds, and local wildlife, contributing to the loss of biodiversity. Studies also show that children benefit from interactions with natural surfaces and nature.
• Artificial turf playing fields cost more than natural grass fields. Studies show that over time, artificial turf can cost 2 to 4 times more than properly installed and maintained natural grass fields; synthetic turf is a poor investment. When comparing natural grass playing fields to artificial turf, it is important to compare the entire product life cycle including the capital cost of installation, annual maintenance, sod replacement as needed for natural fields, and surface/in-fill replacement of the synthetic fields, as well as disposal of artificial turf (removal, transport, and landfill fees).

The Pasadena Environmental Advisory Committee recently published a paper on artificial turf stating that “the EAC firmly believes that keeping this substance in our city is not a responsible choice for Pasadena.” The Pasadena’s EAC explains: “Plastic artificial turf, much like lead paint, DDT, and asbestos, represents a once-promising innovation that has since raised significant concerns regarding environmental and public health and safety.”

How you can help

1. The Angel City Football Club sponsors the girls’ soccer jerseys at the Mar Vista Recreation Center, and the city’s Girls Play Los Angeles (GPLA) program’s name is printed on the uniforms of girls who play on the Mar Vista field. GPLA broadcasts positive messages on social media for girls, and both these groups could help us. Does Angel City and GPLA know how harmful and poisonous our soccer field is for children? We have an opportunity communicate this important issue to both organizations, request that they help Mar Vista Recreation Center convert its field from turf to grass, and invite them to sponsor the field.

2. Submit a public comment on the City Council file calling for an eventual ban on toxic turf. Click here, then click “NEW comment” icon at the top of the page.

3. Contact City Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Paul Krekorian and Katy Yaroslavsky to thank them for sponsoring this motion, and request an update on progress toward banning toxic turf. Contact CD11 Councilmember Traci Park to request that Mar Vista Recreation Center’s toxic turf field be converted to grass.

• Blumenfield: (213) 473-7003; councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org
• Krekorian: 213-473-7002; councilmember.krekorian@lacity.org
• Yaroslavsky: 213 473-7005; councilmember.yaroslavsky@lacity.org
• Park: 213 473-7011; councilmember.park@lacity.org

4. Email us at marvistavoice@gmail.com with questions or suggestions

Our children deserve better

Our children, grandchildren, sisters and brothers are more than social media posts on Instagram for public relations campaigns. Our children and future generations deserve better. Our professional soccer community and city government can help keep our children physically healthy and our environment safe.

To quote the Neighborhood Sustainability Alliance again: “Artificial turf is NOT a safer playing surface, does not significantly reduce water usage, and is not a sound investment. Installing artificial turf does not take into account the true cost to our children’s health and the health of our environment. The solution is nature-based solutions – California native plants and drought-tolerant grasses that use less water, thrive in our climate.”

Our community in Mar Vista deserves a healthy field and environment for generations to come. How can we work together to accomplish this?