Santa Clara County officials could ban artificial turf

(BCN) -- Santa Clara County is preparing to ban artificial turf on all county-owned property, citing health and environmental concerns. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will vote on a policy limiting the use of artificial turf at its Tuesday meeting. The action could result in an outright ban or include an exception for athletic fields.

Board President Otto Lee gathered with environmental and health advocates Friday to discuss why the ban is necessary to prevent health issues from microplastics and reduce contaminants from entering the water supply.

"I really appreciate those engineers who are working to try to make a plastic that is less toxic and harmful," Lee said. "But in the end, this is still plastic. It's a crude oil byproduct."

Supervisors began studying banning artificial turf in April 2024. At the time, Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and former Supervisor Cindy Chavez voiced concerns about whether a ban might affect ongoing negotiations with county land leaseholders who have artificial turf on their properties or are planning to install it at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.

There is no artificial turf in county-operated parks, but several local cities have it installed in their parks, including San Jose and Sunnyvale. Some cities have been reevaluating their use of artificial turf. Palo Alto's Finance Committee halted plans to replace a lawn near the Menlo Park border with artificial turf.

Parents and advocates lobbied the Sunnyvale City Council to not install an artificial turf field during the Lakewood Park renovations, and the city is studying a potential ban. A county website cites reports that link plastics found in artificial turf to long-lasting health concerns, such as cancer.

Artificial turf fields create heat islands by attracting and retaining more heat, putting users at risk of heat-related illnesses. A 2023 state law shuts down artificial turf fields at extreme temperatures and highlights health issues of a group of synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS found in the turf.

The Santa Clara County Medical Association supports the ban and has sent multiple letters advocating against the installation of artificial turf fields to the Sunnyvale City Council, Fremont Union High School District and Saratoga High School board. Dr. Fahd Khan, president of the Santa Clara County Medical Association, spoke about these and other medical dangers, including a higher risk of injury for athletes playing on artificial turf fields.

"Athletes deserve to play on surfaces that support their performance and prioritize their safety," Khan said.

Local athletic groups have opposed these bans and supported artificial turf fields, saying they're more reliable and last longer than natural grass fields. Grass fields also can't be used during rainy weather, limiting play time.

Multiple representatives from the artificial turf industry have opposed the ban. Synthetic Turf Council President Melanie Taylor sent a letter to county supervisors Friday outlining the positive impacts of artificial turf, such as industry innovations to increase the recyclability of plastic and rubber used in the fields. She also cited other studies showing artificial fields conserve water and increase accessibility to fields because of the turf's durability compared to natural grass.

"Synthetic turf provides environmental benefits, increased access, and cost savings to communities across the country," Taylor's letter reads. "Motions to ban synthetic turf hinder communities' ability to access these benefits should be reconsidered."

Representatives from local sports organizations previously told San Jose Spotlight they prefer natural grass fields if well maintained. Cortney Jansen, Community For Natural Play Surfaces member and Sunnyvale resident, said she's glad to see the ban move forward and hopes this pushes local governments to invest more in maintaining their natural grass fields.

"Ideally, we don't even have sports people who are saying they want artificial turf because ... we have provided everyone in our community with the well-maintained sustainable grass fields," Jansen told San Jose Spotlight.

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