The following message was sent today to the Joint Building Committee on behalf of our group.

"Dear Committee,

It is very important that you take a couple of minutes to view this video by epidemiologist Dr. Stuart Shalat, where he speaks about the hazards of children's exposure to synthetic turf infill particulate matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEVeAmqHTSM&feature=share

This video shows that the particulate matter from these fields is in sizes that are inhalable, ingestible and dermally absorbed. Athletes clearly have an increased respiration rate while playing, and this exposure is essentially unavoidable.

You may think that an alternative infill to tire crumb will solve this problem. Please do not be mislead by synthetic turf industry advertising tactics.

"Plant-based infill", such as cork, coconut and corkonut have the following problems in addition to the issues already inherent to synthetic turf, like heat, cost, abrasion injuries etc.

� False advertising – marketed as “organic” but unregulated chemicals sprayed at factory and required after installation

� Much higher cost than tire crumb

� Requires more maintenance

� Must be watered, requiring purchase of equipment and infrastructure

� Requires annual top off due to floating/migrating particles

� Requires higher percentage of silica sand than tire crumb. Silica sand is a known carcinogen, with known respiratory problems include lung damage, fluid build-up in lungs, silicosis

� Materials are abrasive, further breaking down plastic turf fibers, exposing lead

� Chemical treatments such as pesticides, antimicrobials, pre-emergent herbicides, flame retardants and antifungal/antimold agents used in addition to those required for ST maintenance

� Breakdown, compaction, loss of infill, early degradation leaves students at greater injury risk

An organic natural grass athletic field is the only known safe alternative. Natural grass costs significantly less, can give us over 1000 hours of play - double the amount we were getting from our existing field, stay naturally cooler, do not result in plastic pollution of our environment and expensive disposal costs, and do not require toxic pesticides like the microbicides and herbicides needed to maintain synthetic fields.

Having been apprised of this information, it would be considered negligent of the Joint Building Committee not to obtain bids for a state-of-the-art natural grass field.

Please allow public consideration of the safest alternative option that will not only be protective of our children's health and our environment, but also of taxpayer money."

Please share our petition with other Dover residents. We have only a few months left to convince the JBC to solicit bid proposals for a natural grass football field at Dover High School. Every signature counts!