(WTNH) – There’s a push to change the places where sports are played. Lawmakers discussed a bill that would ban towns and the state from buying and using artificial turf.
Over the last few years anytime you say the words artificial turf, it stirs up a great deal of controversy, specifically when talking about athletic fields.
Some people like them but others don’t.
A meeting was held Friday to talk about a bill that’s currently in the General Assembly. It’s house bill 5249. It would essentially prohibit the state, as well as cities and towns, from purchasing or using artificial turf.
And you may be thinking, what’s the big deal. Well, parents and some city leaders have really come out opposing the turf. They’re worried about the chemicals in the artificial turf, known as crumb rubber. It’s made from old tires. Studies have found carcinogens and lung irritants within the material.
But on the flip side of this issue,some people like the synthetic turf fields, saying the fields need less maintenance, they’re cheaper and can withstand bad weather better than plain old grass.
Those people also don’t believe that the studies about artificial turf are credible.
So two very different points of view and there’s a long list of people who are expected to speak at Friday’s public hearing about the proposed bill that would ban the artificial turf.
