I'll start from the beginning. A resident emailed this to Dave Brumfield:
Dave answered with:
Date:04/30/2014 2:19 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: dbrumfield@mtlebanon.org
Subject: Re: artificial turf
Have you seen the flyer about health and environmental issues, including runoff? Have you visited http://www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com/?
I simply cannot understand why artificial turf is necessary. I see no logical rationale for it.
Dave
From: "dbrumfield@mtlebanon.org" <dbrumfield@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 5:13 PM
Subject: Re: artificial turf
Unfortunately the information you are being directed to is inconsistent with studies from California, New York and even the Netherlands. This is not something that I or the Commissioners entered into without research. There is a reason that educational and governmental entities are installing turf at an ever increasing rate. For playability, predictability and efficiency it is the best surface.
Word traveled fast throughout Mt. Lebanon that Mr. Brumfield had not provided supporting evidence, as usual. So Charlotte called him on it.
On May 1, 2014, at 5:33 PM, Charlotte Stephenson wrote:
Dear Commissioner Brumfield,
No response, so Charlotte tried again.It has come to my attention that you claimed to a resident that studies from California, New York and even the Netherlands support the installation of artificial turf for use by children. However, you did not provide any links or cite the specific information. Please give me access to the studies to which you refer.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Thank You,
Charlotte Stephenson
On Sat, May 3, 2014 at 11:23 AM, Charlotte Stephenson wrote:
Finally, Dave Brumfield answered Charlotte's email.Dear Commissioners (Mr. Brumfield),
I am still awaiting the information that I previously requested regarding Dave's sources associated with the information he is telling our residents. He is referring to studies in favor of artificial turf for children in California, New York and the Netherlands, however, he has not produced any supporting documentation. When can I expect to receive this information?
Thank You,
Charlotte Stephenson
Charlotte ripped apart Dave's "studies." It was much too long to reprint, so I made it into a Google Doc.On May 3, 2014, at 5:06 PM, David Brumfield wrote:
Ms. Stephenson,
Please find attached links to the studies I have mentioned to a few residents.There are of course others, but I believe these are the only studies I referenced to residents or at meetings.Additionally, though I do not believe I referenced them there are a number of studies that show turf is equal to or better than natural grass as to likelihood of athletic injury.Dave Brumfield
Dave, always ready to argue, came back with:
On May 7, 2014, at 4:51 PM, David Brumfield wrote:
There it is in writing, Folks. Dave said it is safe for the kids. This is coming from a man who makes his living "protecting the rights and interests of all victims that have been injured through no fault of their own." Of course many of those studies were done two, three and even four years before the toxic turf was installed at the high school in 2010. I stood up at the podium, Dave, to explain how the EPA said that there have not been enough studies done and how the EPA identified all those horrid compounds found in rubber tires. See Appeasing a select few? Dave, please explain these signs to me. I'm confused.Ms. Stephenson,
Did you receive all of the studies I provided because your response only addresses a fraction of them. I only ask to make sure you did receive the links to all of the studies and were able to properly view them.Also I would ask why this concern was raised now and not when the money was set aside last year from the undesignated funds. The fact is based on those public meeting discussions and votes we have had private residents donate thousands of dollars to the endowment. That money was donated for a specific purpose and would be lost if we reversed ourselves now. Though I have not visited lebocitizens in a while I know you have always been a regular reader and poster. I also know that our votes on turf were discussed on the blog.Additionally, those who will be using the new turf are at an extremely high rate already using other turf fields. And even those that are not are coming into contact with recycled rubber tire products every day. There are thousands of turf fields in this country and even more recycled rubber products. Based on the studies I have reviewed, including those I provided to you there is nothing unsafe about any of this. The studies you are referring to about turf are also against other rubber products and other things as common as asphalt.Finally, the provisions you referenced regarding the planning board did not require us to take the project to the planning board. Nor were we required to take it to the Parks Board or Traffic Board as we were not changing the sites use.Dave Brumfield
Is this what we are getting for a million dollars at Wildcat and Middle Fields?
How about "De-voting" this Dave? To save face, just tell us that the SAB couldn't raise enough money. Or better yet, just resign.
Please sign this petition if you want to halt public funds for use of artificial turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields.
47 comments:
Yeah Dave, and each regulation field with crumb rubber infill contains the equivalent of 12,000 recycled rubber tires ? No problem there Dave ? How about having your kids become the poster children for the artificial turf with crumb rubber infill and play every day in and on it, roll around on it , drag it home on their shoes, in their clothes, hair , all over their skin, in their mouths. Come on Dave, do us proud, and do all your coaching on it also.
Only thing Dave fears is that HE won't rise above Mt Lebanon politics. If people ban together and embarrass him in the media he'll back down or the democrat "Gods" will tell him to. The petition isn't getting out to enough people. It's time to bump this up and put pressure on him and his friends. I like the idea of picketing Dick's. Here is a company that is all in on "Global Warming" and kids playing sports (safely) but their actions aren't showing it. Time to inform the masses.
His "those who will be using the new turf are at an extremely high rate already using other turf fields. And even those that are not are coming into contact with recycled rubber tire products every day" is a load of crap. He doesn't back up the things he says because he cannot. He just hopes enough people will believe him because he's in a position of power. Who knew he's a healthcare professional as well, because he has the audacity to state "Based on the studies I have reviewed, including those I provided to you there is nothing unsafe about any of this." Well, great. Ignore the studies that say otherwise and you will be off the hook?
"The fact is based on those public meeting discussions and votes we have had private residents donate thousands of dollars to the endowment. That money was donated for a specific purpose and would be lost if we reversed ourselves now."
Sounds like PROFITS before SAFETY.
In the last week, I learned of a young woman who developed lung cancer and another who developed brain cancer. Both excelled at track.
Google
crumb rubber track cancer
and this pops up
http://www.ardeacon.com/pdf/Assessment_Environmental_Toxicity_Report.pdf
"The fact is based on those public meeting discussions and votes we have had private residents donate thousands of dollars to the endowment. That money was donated for a specific purpose and would be lost if we reversed ourselves now."
Wow. Dave Gaslighting Brumfield is lying again. He and Bendel reiterated to the sports groups and the public that donations to the community endowment would go to field enhancements if the synthetic turf is not installed.
Donors would be really disappointed if they duped into donations that are going to be "lost" due to the incompetence of the turfing commissions.
8:45, I was thinking the same thing.
In a response to Ms. Stephenson, Brumfield caustically writes: "Also I would ask why this concern was raised now and not when the money was set aside last year from the undesignated funds. The fact is based on those public meeting discussions and votes we have had private residents donate thousands of dollars to the endowment. That money was donated for a specific purpose and would be lost if we reversed ourselves now."
Excuse me Mr. Brumfield didn't you commissioners specify that if the private donations didn't total $250,000 or 25% of the total bill the project would be stopped?
Why are you, how did you say it-- concerned now about the private donations being lost.
Or will you, as Obama has consistently done with Obamacare, keep changing the bar?
While the environmental concerns of artificial turf are-- concerning, to this taxpayer it boils down to — is this a neccessity.
To me it is not.
1. I pledge not to patronize any business that buys a field.
2. I will not be buying, donating to any sports group that supports artificial turf, that sends kids to our door asking for contributions.
Also this is exactly why we need to revise the Home Rule Charter. Citizens need some power to see that people like Brumfield are kept in check.
Dave is setting himself up for a big lawsuit if this turf fiasco goes forward and anyone's health is compromised attributable to the turf, its installation, use of infill, maintenance practices, etc.
He's an accident waiting to happen.
they are all "green" when they want something, until they want something that isn't "green" --- like petulant children our commission just throws tantrums rather than responding rationally to documented citizen concerns ---- brumfield and the commissioners should be forced to provide an analysis of the EPA warnings on turf before they proceed to poison the kids
I'm curious if anyone has ever won any of the lawsuits that keep getting referenced?
I think Dave's comment regarding safety needs to be run past Phil Weiss for legal review. I would think a retraction is in order, otherwise BrumTurf just opened the litigation floodgates by advising (in the face of evidence to the contrary) that artificial turf poses NO health-related injury. Note he used an absolute, clear cut "no".
Sorry 9:09, Linfante and Brumfield pretty much told residents they have the neccessary 3 (actually 4) votes to do pretty much whatever the hell they want to do.
You can proclaim they should be forced to provide an analysis but declaring they should and actually making them are two different things.
We elected them, now we have to live with them.
Know what, come school board elections if the Mrs, Brumfield rumor is true... she'll probably win as well.
If you walked into a room full of people meeting on sports and recreation, are Linfante and Brumfield the first ones you'd pick out as experts?
9:45 AM,THAT is what you are curious about? Go to
http://synturf.org.
Elaine
For all liberal feminist out there that think they should lead on everything—
"Quick condemnation of all that is not ours, of views with which we disagree, of ideas that do not attract us, is the sign of a narrow mind, of an uncultivated intelligence. Bigotry is always ignorant, and the wise boy, who will become the wise man, tries to understand and to see the truth in ideas with which he does not agree."
— Annie Besant
Brumfield, Bendel and Silverman in my mind are not a wise men.
Correction:
1. I pledge not to patronize any business that buys a field [sign].
This includes some of my favorites... Rolliers, Mineos, Little Tokyo, Sesame Inn and what looks like it might possibly become a fav- Hitchhikers Brew Pub.
Honoring the insipid Home Rule revision suggestion of making it gender neutral, perhaps we need to change Besant's quote as well to be PC. Some people just won't get it unless its spelled out for them.
Bigotry is always ignorant, and the wise [child] who will become the wise [adult] tries to understand and to see the truth in ideas with which [they] [do] not agree."
— Annie Besant
Brumfield, Bendel, Silverman and LINFANTE are not in my opinion wise people. Who else would picket a public forum with signs proclaiming "What the Kluck!"
There is universal consensus in the public health realm that the heat island on synthetic turf fields is hazardous to athletes. Yet, the Commission discussion on this matter with JT Sauer and Dieseroth indicated that there is no plan beyond accessible water fountains to address this hazard.
In addition, with the reduction of the tree canopy and destruction of the grassy field, spectators and individuals living in close proximity to the field will also feel the impact of the heat island.
Given the consensus that extreme weather events are growing more likely, including heat waves in our region, athletes will not acclimate to significant changes in weather before practices/games when temperatures change dramatically overnight.
How is the municipality going to ensure that athletes are not put in hazardous situations on these fields when the only resources they have tapped are Deiseroth and Sauer, both of whom have stated publicly that they are not health professionals?
Lastly, Sauer states that adding water to the fields adds humidity -- dismissing the utility of water to mitigate heat impacts. If that's the case, Sauer, then why are other communities cooling fields that can literally burn skin with water? How does Sauer suggest that Mt Lebanon increases playing time with this turfed field without decreasing playing time due to heat and compromising the health of these athletes on days like today?
Brumfield is a personal injury lawyer ? Perhaps he did't take the course on self incrimination, or flunked it ?
Remember that Sauer, who claims to have installed over 100 artificial turf fields but also claims, when questioned, he is not an installer, is hired by Gateway, paid ultimately with our tax dollars via Gateway invoices to Mt. Lebanon. And Gateway has the design, engineering, specification writing, bid package and bidding process overseer and overall project management jobs for the turf project, And is a donor of $4,000 in private funding with a promise of more to come for the project !
Nothing unusual about these sorts of "arrangements" in Mt. Lebanon schemes. Business as usual, SOP ! And the people in the bubble sleep on or are "too busy" to notice or want to notice. They count on it.
Wake up FOOLS !
I love how Dave writes: " Though I have not visited lebocitizens in a while I know you have always been a regular reader and poster. I also know that our votes on turf were discussed on the blog."
It is tragic, Dave, that your votes on turf were only discussed here. Thank you for proving my point.
Elaine
9:45 are you kidding me?
Yes, they have lost these lawsuits.
The one in the state of California that required ALL manufacturers to change how their turf was formulated was a big one. Now all turf in California must have lower lead content than before.
From the lawsuit:
Today’s settlement requires Beaulieu and FieldTurf to change their products so that they contain less than 50 parts per million lead. Lab results found some artificial turf products with more than 5,000 parts per million, which is more than 10 times state and federal guidelines for content in children’s products. Lead is added to the products to keep colors vibrant.
Now, the turf companies fought because they felt lead was a very important component of their product.
Sad to say but the best research article I have seen is from a high school newspaper editor. Spend ten minutes and read this:
http://www.saratogafalcon.org/content/are-artificial-turf-fields-carcinogenic
Dont forget that Gateway is also the traffic engineer. So if they don't see a problem with the increased traffic, neither should you.
I mean, it's not like a large expense for road or parking improvement might increase the cost of the overall project or anything and jeopardize the money Gateway is set to make.
Conflict of Interest? They should just manage the town.
This one I like:
Los Angeles, California: Unified School District sues turf installer for nondisclosure of harmful substances. According to a news report by the Court House News Services (January 29, 2010), “Los Angeles Unified School District says the company it hired to install artificial turf on school playgrounds did not inform it that it would underlay the turf with carcinogens - carbon black and lead, in crumb rubber - that would come into direct contact with children. LAUSD hired Forever Green Athletic Fields of the West in 2005 to artificial turf systems on playgrounds and playing fields at 13 schools. In its Superior Court complaint, the school district says it knew that one of the materials used would be crumb rubber, which contains lead and carbon black. But LAUSD says it did not know that the chemicals would be in direct contact with children who play on the turf. The state of California says lead and carbon black are known to cause cancer, reproductive harm, neurological harm, decreased IQ and developmental toxicity. The chemicals can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. LAUSD says it ‘understood that the crumb rubber would be applied only as an underlayment, as a foundational layer beneath the upper artificial grass turf,’ and that it would not be in direct human contact. But Forever Green used it as ‘infill’ between plots of synthetic grass in places where it would be in contact with children and exposed to intense sunshine and heat, which contribute to the breakdown and release of chemicals, according to the complaint. LAUSD claims Forever Green knew that the crumb rubber was being sold throughout California in large quantities. The chemical exposure was ‘knowing and intentional,’ the district says. The district issued a Proposition 65 violation notice in November 2009 and sent it to the California Attorney General and the Los Angeles City Attorney. The district alleges violation of Proposition 65, breach of contract, product liability and negligence. It seeks civil penalties, compensation and costs.” Elizabeth Banicki, “L.A. Schools Worry About Toxic Playgrounds,” in Court House News Service, January 29, 2010, available at http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/01/29/24191.htm
Turf fund raising suggestion.
Once the artificial turf is installed, it would be great entertainment to have Brumfield, on the first sunny, terribly hot 90+ degree day, run around on the field for a couple of hours.
I'll pledge $10 for every complete hour he makes it.
And no fair if he gets the fire dept. to come down and cool it off for him.
Once he recovers from heat stroke, we'll see if he can recite the facts from his California, NY and Netherlands turf studies.
12:45, Brumfield will claim he has no knowledge of the lawsuits therefore it cannot have a bearing on his decisions.
"Hear no evil, See no evil, Say no Evil"!
We may have found the missing link between monkeys and homosapiens alive and well and living amongst us.
An hour? I'd pay to see him stand upright with no assistance in the most desirable of weather conditions for just 15 minutes.
Great idea 12:54.
C'mon commissioners, SAB join Brumfield for a sunny, funny recreational run at turfed WC/M... you people are so hot (pun intended) to install artificial turf with money from other peoples' pockets, do it.
It's for the kids, remember!
I don't care if he can stand upright or run around on the field in any weather. HE IS NOT SEEING MY TWO CHILDREN ON THAT POISON ! !
Didn't someone write in here that they saw Dave Franklin standing in front of a fan down at the field last year? But Dave has said at SAB meetings and during a Commission Discussion Session that there is no need to irrigate the fields because Pittsburgh doesn't get that hot here.
I thought about joining in on that fundraiser, but I don't want to see any of our tax dollars spent on this project, which will cost Mt. Lebanon a minimum of $750,000. It is bad enough that our tax dollars will be used to defend these bums when the lawsuits start pouring in.
Elaine
Aw c'mon. It'll be great entertainment to them collapse watch from a lounge chair on the pool side overlook.
Here's another fund raiser idea.
You know those coin operated water cannon kennywood has overlooking the Ragin' Rapids.
We could install a bunch of those over looking the ballfields.
Off topic...
Two MTL firefighters were injured helping fight a Dormont fire.
Look like the injuries were minor and hope their recovery is speedy.
Thanks guys.
What is the cost of being wrong?
so we are okay with lead at the rifle range but not okay with lead at the ballpark
"Government Pays Chinese-backed Firm $47 Million for Unwanted N.J. Wind Farm Project
By: Washington Free Beacon Staff
May 8, 2014 9:40 am
The U.S. federal government has awarded a Chinese-backed energy firm $47 million to construct a wind farm in Atlantic City, N.J., after the state rejected the project twice.
Fishermen’s Energy firm has been lobbying to build five windmills on the New Jersey coast that would cost about $188 million,according to the Washington Times. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities rejected the project twice saying it was too risky for ratepayers."
Gee sounds just like the democratic commissioners and SAB here in the bubble!
Voters, are you finally getting the picture? Government and public sector employees no longer work for you. You work for them.
Mr Brumfield says "Those who will be using the new turf are at an extremely high rate already using other turf field".
Who are these children that are playing on turf at an extremely high rate?
Is he saying that a subgroup of the double counted 3600 child athletes in Mt Lebanon are going to be using the new turf?
How many kids are in that subgroup?
What is an extremely high rate and how does that make it legitimate to expose the wider community to the hazardous materials identified by the EPA and the research community?
Maybe finally Mr Brumfield is acknowledging that this whole plan has been created to cater to coaches and kids playing on elite travel teams so that they can benefit from the the convenience of having their practices within Mt Lebanon.
I'd call that a change of use, Mr. Brumfield.
Question... What happens when the EPA comes in and rules that these turfed fields are dumping chemicals into the water and damaging the streams? Will Brumfield raise taxes to somehow correct this? AND where is the EPA? They have stopped people from building on their property because "they" say a puddle makes the property a wetland. But I've had the unlucky experience of working with Brummie and he loves all the attention he gets from this blog. He laughs about it. He also laughs about how nothing ever gets off the blog. He's a joke of a lawyer and a JOKE of a commissioner. He needs to embarrassed and thrown out of town.
Fixing the lead problem at the rifle range is a matter of changing ammunition - pretty easy. Fixing the lead problem on a turfed field is a hell of a lot more involved and costly.
One of the major issues and costs associated with the high school rifle range is lead (Pb) not only in the cartridge projectiles but residual content increase throughout the range AND IN THE AIR in the enclosed, confined space. There has to be a significant air filtering and replacement system.
At least this was the situation at the beginning of the design development phase of the project which led to a postponement of rehabbing the rifle range.
5:04 PM, there is no doubt that "Brummie" also laughs about how nothing ever gets off the blog. I have had that comment submitted to me anonymously on more than one occassion. He may get his way on the toxic turf, but in the end, he will have committed political suicide. No chance that he would ever get the support he needs to be judge. The way he operates, he can't even define the word "fairness." Aren't judges supposed to know the meaning of fairness?
Elaine
Fairness to him is "I get my way and you lose !"
4:20 PM, i am not OK with lead anywhere, but there is a significant difference between the two. Young children would be exposed to the lead in the turf, but not in the rifle range. Here is what the Mayo Clinic says about lead poisoning and young children. Lead poisoning
Of course, Dave Brumfield will dismiss this since it didn't come from the Netherlands.
Elaine
The area of the rifle range compared to the area of the turfed fields is a drop in the bucket. The rifle range can be cleaned of its residual lead, and the use of non-lead ammunition will take care of subsequent lead concerns. Once the turf is down there is no fix for any lead problems that might occur; other than remove the turf. The rifle range is a case of a small facility that can go from a lead to a no-lead situation. The Cedar Boulevard fields are going from no lead to lead.
5:04 pm. Unless you spoke directly to an EPA person about the issues relating to building on a property, you cannot take the EPA stance at face value. In Mt Lebanon, you must get your information DIRECTLY from the source or a Dave Bumturf will provide misinformation and make every possible effort to derail you. I am speaking from personal experience.
If your goals don't align with a public or private muni plan, you must battle.
The folks who work closely, intimately with the EPA have trouble getting in touch with them so my guess is that this municipality has very little to no contact with the EPA. But that might change...
Elaine tonight I was forced by my wife to cut the grass. Our back is a hill and I was wondering what the township would do if I replaced my grass yards, both front and back with turf? What would the township do if say 30 homeowners decided to do this? Would neighbors have a right to fight it? Would the commissioners? Wonder if any of Franklin's or Brumfield's neighbors be willing to swamp out there grass for turf? Also does anyone remember the name of the group that filed the lawsuit against Allegheny County for storm water runoff? They might be a good group to get involved.
Mr Brumfield has a lot of explaining to dso to the people he himself appointed to all these boards. He know must claim that the PAB and ESB were motivated by strictly personal reasons to oppose the turf. He must claim that he knows better than the collective minds of both groups that have been appointed to advisory roles to the commission.
To make matters worse for the Daves they must now admit the best, fastest, and easiest way to improve fields in Mt Lebanon was Kellys plan for more field space
A woman might be right. see how that flies!
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