IC Says Thanks, Others No Thanks for New Turf Field
Matt Minton | February 15, 2023 | Ithaca.com
Ever since Ithaca College’s football field was first installed in 1958, it has been home to many games full of excited football fans. After being named the Jim Butterfield Stadium in 1992, the field has since undergone many renovations and changes over the years. The most recent decision to replace the field’s natural grass with artificial turf has led to many environmental concerns from local activist groups.
The installment of the artificial turf, which is expected to be ready for playing by Fall 2023, comes after Monica Bertino Wooden ‘81 donated $3 million. After reaching out by email, the Athletic Department at Ithaca College did not agree to an interview.
Alexis Goldsmith, national organizing director at Beyond Plastics, said that the main concerns surrounding the artificial turf field include health, heat island and injury concerns.
“[Artificial turf] is quite simply plastic,” Goldsmith said. “It’s plastic turf that is usually filled with tire crumbs. It needs six to 10 inches of fill, which amounts to large amounts of tire crumb. There’s runoff concerns, so microplastics runoff into waterways from the plastic being on the ground when it rains. It breaks down with UV light, and then microplastics wash away. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, which then find their way into our food, water and air.”
When being pitched by petrochemical interests, Goldsmith said that artificial turf is deceptively marketed as being a safer alternative with low maintenance required.
According to a report by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, “The advantages of these fields include less maintenance costs, ability to withstand intense use and no need for pesticides.”
It continues saying that Environmental Protection Agency studies have not shown “elevated risk from playing on fields with artificial turf or tire crumbs.” However, uncertainty still exists as to whether or not these studies are accurate and opponents say that more research needs to be done.
“I think that’s very tempting to athletic directors,” Goldsmith said. “They’re motivated to get as much playing time out of the field as possible. But the fact is, they’re really expensive. They don’t last forever. They have to be replaced every seven to 10 years, and it’s not recyclable. So all of the plastic infill being used in the turf itself is just going to a landfill, or it’s going to an incinerator.”
