I was under the impression that the metal testing and the MSDS were required from all four bidders. I only see information for rubber infill. I don't see anything from the organic infill bidder. Funny how that changed.
Even though no toxicologist has reviewed this information, a notarized affidavit submitted by an employee of Shaw Sports Turf swears that the turf material meets all artificial turf industry standards including the requirements of ASTM F2765 for total lead content. See page 3 for the Affidavit. There are no safe lead levels, Commissioners.
The other area of concern is zinc. There are elevated levels of zinc. This is a problem. See page 6 for the Soluble Threshold Limit Concentration for arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, mercury, and more. Again, Commissioners, there are no safe levels for lead. Children will be playing on these fields.
Page 14 lists the chemical composition of Shaw Sports Turf.
1. Turf fiber = Polyethylene
2. Primary backing = Polypropylene
3. Secondary backing = Polyurethane polymer + Calcium Carbonate + Hydrated Alumina
4. Resilient infill = Recycled SBR Tire Rubber
5. Non-resilient infill = Silica Sand
Mt. Lebanon Residents, Tuesday is your last shot at trying to stop this. I have done everything I could to get the information out to you. It is entirely up to you now.
Elaine, don't count on the sleepy, disconnected and perhaps lazy population of Mt. Lebanon showing up to stop the artificial turf.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many consider that they pay a $2.50 tire disposal fee every time they replace a worn out tire on the family truckster.
And now not only are they going to pay Shaw/FieldTurf over $1,000,000 to buy those used tires back in the form of crumb rubber, they're going to pay an extra $15-25 per kid for the priviledge of playing on this stuff!
How stupid does one have to be?
Pay to $2.50/tire to get rid of them and then spend millions of dollars to buy those tires back for the rest of the fields lifespan.
On top of that we'lll spend millions to clean the tire pollutants from our streams and drinking water!!!!
Think about it PennFuture is still a NO SHOW on the issue of artificial turf.
ReplyDeleteRemember that when the PAYT discussion starts back up or they collar you for a contribution!
The data sheet has nothing to do with the contents of the turf that will be installed in Mt Lebanon. The data is from another field in California. Those fields haven't been installed. There is no guarantee that the product they install will be identical. The contents of these fields are made, literally, all over the world.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Tom Kelley, "This is..."
Likewise, in the ambush of lies, it's important for ALL PARENTS to know these safety standards that are referenced do not apply to CHILDREN.
I sent my letter to the commission and copied Phil Weis.
ReplyDeleteThe product is SIMILAR, not the same product.
I hope the commissioners get sued.
Elaine
If you can't attend Tuesday's meeting then email your objections to the commission. In the future, during the discovery process of a lawsuit, all of these messages will serve the case of the plaintiff. That is, of course, unless the municipality pulls an IRS.
ReplyDeleteI have been copying Phi Weis recently. I would like to suggest that Lebo Citizens keep copies of all emails sent to the commissioners. I appealed a RTK recently, and won, in part. Mt. Lebanon was to produce personal emails and text messages over a three day period (March 11-13). I just heard back yesterday, and of course, there were no such records.
ReplyDeleteMoral of the story, please keep copies of all your emails sent to the commission concerning the artificial turf project.
Elaine
Will the correct MSDS sheets be posted at the fields after the turf is installed?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. That would be a question for the commissioners, manager, and municipal engineer. Keep in mind that the Sports Advisory Board was to give financial reports and that didn't happen either. Mt. Lebanon is so sleazy anymore, that they will do or say anything to get the toxic turf installed. We have been lied to repeatedly.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Product to be provided is similar to that described in the Material Safety Data Sheet. Note the five elements that constitute Shaw Sports Turf Legion SpikeZone.....
ReplyDelete1. Turf Fiber - polyethylene
2. Primary backing - polypropylene
3. Secondary backing - polyurethane polymer + calcium carbonate + hydrated alumina
4. Resilient infill - Recycled SBR tire rubber
5. Non-resilient infill - Silica Sand
Material Safety Data Sheet, page 1 of 7 (PDF page 32 of 47):
Product name: Crystalline Silica, Silicon Dioxide
EMERGENCY OVERVIEW
WARNING!
Lung injury and cancer hazard. Do not breath dust. May cause delayed lung injury.
Page 2 of 7 (PDF page 33 of 47):
Do not breath dust. Do not rely on your sight to determine if dust is in the air. Silica may be in the air without a visible dust cloud.
"A manager is responsible for the application and performance of knowledge."
ReplyDelete— Peter Drucker,
Austrian-American management consultant and writer
Manager? That'd be Mr. Feller wouldn't it. Seems he's not up to the job since Commissioner Brumfield claims he hasn't seen any evidence that artificial turf is hazardous to our health, the environment or our pocketbooks.
Listen people of Lebo. Greenenergysports.com is your next best friend. They have put the most organic and thermo rubber applications in North America. Your design team should have their products on display at Lebo. All clean and green just like their name. Look at their products online for yourselves and request them. Nyc won't use crushed tires so why would you?
ReplyDelete4:40 PM, thank you for that information. The commissioners and Sports Advisory Board led by non voting member and Parks Advisory Board representative, who does not go to PAB meetings, Dave Franklin, are not interested in anything but the toxic stuff.
ReplyDeleteThey rigged the specs to include irrigation, not needed or recommended by GeoTurf, another organic infill company. It made the job too expensive and not competitive.
Elaine
Doesn't make sense. There is much more to all of this than we all know. That website just posted, shows recyclable and sustainable infill that is another option to organic and tires. It looks green too with holes in the granule. Would imagine water and air can become stored within for a cooling effect naturally.
DeleteAnyone interested in knowing about goeturf or other similar infill materials? cdgeoturf@aol.com
ReplyDelete4:40 pm I am happy with grass. If I raise children that can't deal with a rainy day, I'd be a failure of a parent. If youth athletes give up their sport due to unfavorable weather conditions, they were never destined to be athletes.
ReplyDelete5:58 PM, thanks, but no thanks. The commissioners were in touch with GeoTurf. They want the bad stuff.
ReplyDeleteThis goes for any other sales people out there. Their minds are made up.
Elaine
Maybe they didn't want what geoturf offers or who runs geoturf. Actually does anyone know who runs geoturf? Anyway that's why their are other products like Geofill which is not from geoturf. Again actually Geofill is what was specified. Somebody made them over engineer this to keep the green energy products out. Go figure...
ReplyDelete11:30 PM, technically "Geofill" was not specified. Here is the Notice To Bidders:
ReplyDelete"Alternate bids are requested for installation of organic infill material as a substitute to rubber infill including the installation of an irrigation system and for a substitution of alternate turf material."
HOWEVER, Geofill brand requires irrigation. GeoTurf advises against irrigation, especially in this climate with so much rain. Doesn't the SAB want kids to play even in the rain? With all the photos I have posted here, the lack of rainwater has never been an issue.
You're right. The bottom line is that the specs were "over engineered" to keep the organic infill out.
Elaine
Elaine is correct, except that the *Commissioners* specified a preference for organic infill, but Sauer and McNitt et al. don't like it, so the specs were drawn up to rule out GeoTurf and false rumors about how GeoTurf is too expensive were propagated.
ReplyDelete--Pam Scott
http://www.geoturfusa.com/g/why-geo/
ReplyDeleteFrom my RTK, Franklin on GeoTurf. We have him to thank.
ReplyDeleteI spoke with the GeoTurf rep. He said that GeoTurf runs a dollar more a square foot that crumb rubber infill. That means if our fields are 110,000 square feet, their price would have only been $110,000 more. Besides reading in my RTK what GeoTurf told Bendel, the rep was here in 2012 and spoke with members of our community. I have published all GeoTurf related information from my RTK here, as well.
It comes down to this. What Franklin wants, Franklin gets.
Elaine
*[that] than crumb rubber infill.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Shaw didn't provide Gateway Engineers and the Commission with an MSDS for SBR crumb rubber. Rather, Shaw substituted a 2003 MSDS of a 99% vulcanized rubber compound. Is that not deliberate deception by Shaw?
ReplyDelete--Pam Scott
Think about what you are all saying. The coconut rhymes and cork need moisture. Otherwise just figure the compaction that takes place. Anyway you keep mentioning geoturf but do they even make the product. Check their warranty and testing data and maybe it will be clearer. Picture mulch when there isn't water or rain. A plant like product needs moisture when out in the elements especially hot sunny days.
ReplyDeleteI spoke with the president of GeoTurf. Think about what you are saying, 12:48 PM.
ReplyDeleteI would love for the plan holders of this project to sue Mt. Lebanon. Tom Kelley's famous quote comes to mind. I wonder when his quote will replace "A Community With Character" on the Mt. Lebanon home page.
Elaine
12:48pm, see the link at 10:00am GeoTurf has a great product.
ReplyDeletePresident of what company? Geoturf -llc, inc, Ltd? Please offer name and number? Need to contact for another big wetlands project. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the president's name and number please?
ReplyDeleteI have posted it on Lebo Citizens already. I got it from my RTK which cost me over $100. Ask any member of the Turf Project Task Force. They have it too. It is also available through a Google search. Put a little effort into this, OK?
ReplyDeleteElaine
Before this goes any further, I am not advocating for organic infill. I am against any kind of artificial surface on our fields. Read what another community went through here. https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfReynoldsField?fref=nf
ReplyDeleteI called GeoTurf because he reached out to Mt. Lebanon in 2012, and again in 2013 and 2014. Geo Turf bought the bid package, just as I had. I called him because allegedly Bendel and Linfante "preferred" organic infill, yet they are going with tire turf. Something wasn't adding up.
The commissioners should not be allocating $800,000 on toxic turf when there is a long list of projects listed on Tuesday's agenda which should be considered instead.
Elaine
Maybe you are geoturf? Because you keep mentioning him but what's his name? Please provide so we can get the infill for this project.
ReplyDeleteWill there be flame retardants in the infill? Flame Retardants Are Everywhere - The New York Times
ReplyDelete"Flame retardants, widely used in furniture, bedding and clothing, have been found in a multitude of places, from breast milk to Antarctic penguins. Some of these chemicals are suspected carcinogens, but experts are unsure how their ubiquity will affect human health."
Elaine
If geoturf bought the bid package and you are one to advocate Elaine then why did "he" not bid it? As far as the bidders know, they never received a bid from geoturf. Not one proposal from him whoever it is because Elaine won't tell us his name or Maybe he is Elaine?
ReplyDelete1:45pm:
ReplyDeleteDomenic Carapella
President & CEO
GeoTurf / LimontaSport USA
Toll Free 1-888-9-GEO-TURF (1-888-943-6887)
New York Office: (212) 904 1223
info@geoturfusa.com
10:16 PM, Yeah, I'm GeoTurf. You got me.
ReplyDeleteElaine
4:24/10:16 PM, if you had taken the time to read the Turf Project Task Force agendas from my RTK, you would have found GeoTurf's contact information. If you had read the emails that I had published from my RTK that someone was nice enough to pay for me, you would have seen all the emails between GeoTurf and John Bendel. If you had helped me with the bid package fee, you would have also seen GeoTurf's contact information with all the other plan holders' names and contact information.
ReplyDeleteGeoturf missed the mandatory Pre-Bid meeting because his plane was delayed due to bad weather. He arrived about two hours after the meeting. After David Donnellan checked with Gateway, GeoTurf was told that he was not permitted to submit bids since he had missed the mandatory meeting. So there's the rest of the story, 10:16 PM.
I only published your comments because 10:43 PM was nice enough to furnish the information. I had them sitting in my spam folder with the rest of your insane comments. Continue, and I will be taking action. I have had enough of you.
Elaine
I'm done talking about GeoTurf. Nothing should be done on those fields. Today, several people sent me photos of that beautiful grass while they were down at the park before the fireworks. Our commissioners' lawns should look so nice! It is a sin how Linfante, Brumfield, Bendel, and Silverman will be voting on Tuesday to award the contract to strip mine those oxygen producing fields and replace them with lead, zinc, arsenic, mercury, and all the rest listed on the MSDS. But Brumfield references some remote study from the Netherlands which permits the pro-turf signs to say "Proven Safe."
ReplyDeleteWell, looks like another sleepless night.
Elaine
I understand many families were camped out on Wildcat Field to watch the fireworks. Someone wrote to me and speculated that "It is unlikely they will be allowed to be on turf next July 4, if this thing actually happens. They will be told to enjoy the fireworks elsewhere, so as to keep the young toddlers from crawling around on it with the crumb materials and the bacterial potentials; so as to keep food items off of it; so as to keep the warranty intact." I would add that anyone with a compromised immune system, respiratory condition, or life threatening allergies stay away. In addition, expectant mothers must avoid these fields.
ReplyDeleteThis just makes me sick.
Elaine
Here Elaine is a point that NO ONE has considered. Certainly not that environmental worried, don't stuff our landfills, LEED promoting mom... president Linfante.
ReplyDeleteWhat parent in their right mind would drive their young kids down to the nearest used tire dump several times a week to play in it?
But "Proven Safe" Brumfield, Bendel, Silverman and Linfante are forcing parents to subject their children to just that— a tire dump.
Not ony are they bringing in tires for the kids to play on... 20,000 to 40,000 arre used in a FieldTurf installation.
To make sure the kids get full exposure to all chemicals contained in those tires... They'll be ground up into very tiny pieces to guarantee the kids will ingest those crumbs and dust into their lungs, stomach and cuts and scrapes.
Yep, makes perfect sense to me mom and dad! Pay higher taxes and sports group participation fees for the joy of watching your kids play in a tire dump.
No wheel chairs....baby strollers...chairs...gum....cigarettes...food...drinks...sparklers...
ReplyDeleteOnly approved footwear......
http://safemama.com/2009/05/18/faq-whats-the-deal-with-play-sand/
ReplyDeleteFrom a search on silica sand!
You'd think California Girl Linfante would be concerned about the California required warnings mentioned in the article.