Hi, Anti-Astroturf Petitioners - 

The next CB12 Community Board meeting is coming up in a couple of days now......

It will be held this Tuesday, the 24th at 6:30pm

CUMC Hammer Health & Sciences Building,

701 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032 Room 301

I hope you got a chance to look at  the updates to the petition text, but if not, here's the simple takeaway -  there is absolutely no such thing as safe, "environmentally friendly" astroturf! Mount Sinai has been testing alternatives to crumb rubber infills, and they note that almost everything they tested was emitting BOTH carcinogens and neurotoxins. The problem with leaching PFAS is not limited to the infills, moreover, and the phony blades of grass themselves are a core part of the problem, as are the mattings that are under the blades. In addition, the intense heating of the phony turf surfaces creates its own set of health and environmental risks, which are not minor.  

We also now know what they are planning on using for the infill of this specific project - coated silica sand. They act as though this somehow makes their project benign, but even one manufacturer of a silica sand infill for use in astroturf notes the health risks of the product on their website. It mentions that the infill can create silica dust. This is one of the most notorious toxins known - it is considered more toxic than asbestos, and much modern law about occupational hazard comes from the historic disasters involving silica dust. 

In short, this project is so horrible that it really must be fought off! 

You can register to attend virtually by going to - 

https://cbmanhattan.cityofnewyork.us/cb12/calendar/monthly-board-meeting-3-2-2-4-4-2/

then click the link to register.......