Vancouver, British Columbia, April 24, 2007--The following message is being issued by John B. Giraud of Target Technologies International Inc.: I have been involved in the synthetic turf industry for 29 years and I have been a witness to its evolution. Target Technologies International Inc. (TTII) is in receipt of a document entitled "Rochesterians against the Misuse of Pesticides (RAMP)."
I find the documentation slanted to an environmentalist thinking. First of all the majority of the report stems from the Norwegian Building Research Institute for leachates for the country of Norway; I don't see any reference to US Federal or State laws when it comes to the values of leachates. I would suggest you have the individual (s) formerly submit independent lab results that prove that crumb rubber exceeds leachate values.
The synthetic sportsfield is a system. What is a system related to leachates? The construction of a synthetic field is a filtration system. Normally most fields have specific drainage systems to move the water from the field: the sub base of the field is a layer of different aggregates while the synthetic grass and the infield all act as a filtration system. By the time the water moves a certain distance there will be little to no contamination.
When it comes to safety I see no value in their statements. I do agree children can bring in crumb rubber from their soles of their shoes into the house but they can also bring fertilizers from their shoes. I would suspect one can breath the harmful contaminates of fertilizers much easier than one can breath a 10-20 mesh crumb rubber particulate.
The writer suggests when it comes to the concern of silica sand - is the player really being exposed to silica? The sizing of the silica sand normally used for infields is a 20-40 mesh which is impossible to breathe in. TTII has very strict specifications on the silica; the silica particle must not be agglomerated or crushed in the processing. When it comes to silica dust the silica provided from TTII is double washed, dried and screened to a very specific size. I would suggest any environmentalist that is concerned with silica dust not go to the beach; there is more silica dust exposure to humans at the local beach than you will ever find on any synthetic sports field. Obviously, proper protective clothing (such as approved air-filtration masks and safety glasses) should always be worn during field installs and renovations. Construction site safety and local regulations should never be compromised.
In this writer's opinion, synthetic sportsfield systems offer a much safer and ecological environment. We are not contaminating our ground water with fertilizers, pesticides, & operating equipment that spits toxic fumes applying fertilizers and pesticides weekly. Also, we aren't wasting a valued resource such as water on a daily basis.
When we examine a synthetic sportsfield vs natural grass fields, injuries are more prevalent with natural grass. With a natural grass field we face greater imperfections with elevations on the field as slight as they maybe. Ball players can twist and sprain their ankles due to these imperfections. There are also fields which we call all weather fields which are basically crushed sand or natural sand particles that are extremely dangerous when one falls on. At least with synthetic sportsfields there is a cushion that supports fewer injuries to the athlete.
When it comes to nasty infections we now have introduced an anti-microbial product called TurfAide. This product has now been introduced to the synthetic sportsfield industry, and has a life span for the duration of the field (which normally is 8-10 years.) Once the product has been applied there is no leaching and contamination to the soil. This product has proven that it supports the prevention of harmful bacteria's attacking the athlete. This product is one of a kind and is not a silver based.
Our company has also recently introduced an environmental solution for the disposal of the synthetic turf fields, once they have gone through their life span. The disposal system is called STDF (Synthetic Turf Derivative Fuel) our company now has in place four cement factories that utilize not only the old synthetic carpet but also the infield materials such as crumb rubber for fuel. We now are saving the environment by not using fossil fuels which is creating global warming. The temperature of kilns exceeds 3800 degrees F which eliminates any toxic gases. This system has been approved by The Federal Environmental Protection Agency. Please visit our website, www.ttiionline.com for further information.
The disposal of tires in landfills is incorrect. There are many landfills that do accept tires but they are regulated by government agencies. The cement plants universally take in tires for fuel; they call this Tire Derivative fuel.
FIFA, one of the largest non profit organizations in the world came forth on July 12, 2006 and has made it clear that synthetic sports systems are environmentally friendly. I would suspect the problem with crumb rubber is the sizing of the product -- too many fines and too much fiber, which lends itself to environmental problems. Our company has taken the position to supply clean, well graded crumb rubber that meets and exceeds normal industry standards. There is a lot of crumb rubber that is being supplied in the industry which is sub-standard. TTII has taken great care evaluating suppliers that are capable of supplying good clean product.
TTII would suggest to any individual that speaks poorly of synthetic turf vs natural grass and ask if they drive a car or ride a bus -- and if they do then I would suggest they consider a different mode of transportation. At the same time if these environmentalists wear a running shoe or any shoe that is made of rubber ultimately they are thrown in the trash; what then? Under these circumstances - by the writers thinking, they are a hypocrite to the environment. They should practice what they preach.
