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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW SOU stages adaptation of Chekov's 'Seagull' ... Ashland has hand in peace gesture in Paris ... The Ashland Climate Challenge ... SOU stages adaptation of Chekov's 'Seagull' ... Ashland has hand in peace gesture in Paris ... The Ashland Climate Challenge ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Artificial field carries hidden costs Comment By Amy Sager Patton DailyTidings.com By Amy Sager Patton Posted Nov. 4, 2015 at 11:31 AM By Amy Sager Patton Posted Nov. 4, 2015 at 11:31 AM » Social News On Oct. 1, a Tidings story said the deadline for raising the estimated $1,225,000 for the new artificial turf football field at Ashland High School was Oct. 15. However, the school board appears to be under significant pressure to keep this project moving forward despite insufficient community support. Before the deadline arrived, the school board was asked to put aside district money, taken from other needed projects, to develop construction documents for the project (Tidings, Oct. 22). Why can’t we just admit that, after two separate attempts to raise funds for an artificial field at AHS, we don’t have the support? In my view, if Ashland High doesn’t get artificial turf, that’s a positive result for our kids. We should be proud of our natural grass field at Ashland High School. We are protecting the health of our kids, enjoying the benefits of cool, clean grass, and not creating huge capital costs for our district in years to come. What has not been well advertised in this funding campaign is that the field will need to be replaced, every 8 to 15 years, at a cost of approximately $500,000 each time. The fields are not maintenance free. They require regular redistribution of the rubber pellets and chemical treatment for bodily fluids spilled, since there are no natural microbes to do that job. So expect to get asked to pay for this field again, and again. The School Board promised early on that that replacement cost should not come out of the operating fund, and rightly so. But why, then, are we using district dollars right off the bat? Beyond the cost, the jury is out on the safety of turf fields. An investigation performed for the National Football League Injury and Safety Panel concluded that “Injury rates for ACL sprains and eversion ankle sprains for NFL games played on FieldTurf were higher than rates for those injuries in games played on grass, and the differences were statistically significant.” (American Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. XX, No. X, 2012) My kids have played soccer, football and rugby on a number of fields for 21 years. By far, grass is their favorite. After playing on artificial turf fields, kids return with turf burns and little rubber pellets all through their clothes that then end up in septic tanks, the sewage treatment plant, or Bear Creek. Artificial turf soccer fields get so hot some days that the kids' feet burn right through their shoes and the heated rubber pellets in the fields volatilize and send off fumes reminiscent of a tire sales waiting room — not a pleasant environment, and unhealthy, according to a January 2015 study published in the Journal of Environmental and Analytical Toxicology: “The main conclusion we can draw from this preliminary study ... is that ... the quantity of toxic substances it releases when heated does not make it safe for public health.” A turfgrass specialist at the University of Missouri measured an air temperature of 138 degrees Fahrenheit at "head level" on the university's synthetic turf field on a sunny 98-degree day. The surface temperature of the field was reported to be 178 degrees. One other limitation of artificial turf fields was demonstrated last spring, when the annual Relay for Life fundraising event was held at the new SOU artificial turf field. In the past, the event was held on a grass field. This year, students were allowed to play games on the synthetic field, but had to keep food, tents and the music stage off of it. The result was a much lower energy event than in years past. Too many rules. Just to protect a fake grass field. Ashland should be proud to provide natural grass fields for sports. Our kids will get the health benefits, and our community will save a lot of money that could be better used to fix the track, improve the stadium, maybe build a pool, and perhaps improve the loudspeaker system at the football field. Amy Sager Patton lives in Ashland. By Amy Sager Patton DailyTidings.com By Amy Sager Patton Posted Nov. 4, 2015 at 11:31 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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