Artificial Turf Staff Work Group
A Review of Benefits and Issues Associated with Natural and Artificial Turf Rectangular Stadium Fields
On July 1, 2010, the Montgomery County Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment (T&E) Committee held a meeting with staffs from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Montgomery County Department of Parks (Parks), Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to discuss health and safety issues associated with artificial turf fields in Montgomery County.
An outcome of the meeting was a T&E Committee request for the formation of a staff work group to prepare a report that would provide guidance to the Committee in the face of concerns raised by some citizens and groups (see Appendices I and J) over the use of artificial turf fields in the County. The work group would include staff members from MCPS, Parks, DEP, and DHHS, along with a representative from Council staff. Specifically, the Committee requested the staff work group to further quantify the programming, environmental, cost-benefits, and other impacts of artificial turf vis-à-vis natural grass fields as part of its report.
The Draft Report of A Review of Benefits and Issues Associated with Natural Grass and Artificial Turf Rectangular Stadium Fields was submitted for Public Comment on April 13, 2011. Public comments were received through June 7, 2011. A compilation of all public comments received during this comment period is included in Appendix N of the Final Report. Chapter IX, “Discussion of Public Comments to the Draft Report”, provides a summary of the comments received, further discussion regarding some of the major points raised in the comments, and references to areas in the Final Report that reflect changes from the Draft Report.
A joint T&E and Education Committee discussion of the Final Report has been scheduled for:
September 26, 2:00 PM
Council Office Building
3rd Floor Council Hearing Room
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
