OB Drafts Regs to Ban Artificial Tuft With PFAS

By Rich Saltzberg | Marthas Vineyard Times | December 9, 2021

Read the full article from Rich Saltzberg (Marthas Vineyard Times)

“The Oak Bluffs board of health has drafted regulations that would ban the installation, storage, and dumping of artificial turf containing PFAS. The draft regulations were released Thursday afternoon along with a board of health agenda for Tuesday, Dec. 14, where the regulations will be discussed by the board.

The proposed regulations come as the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School is proposing a synthetic turf field that’s before the Oak Bluffs planning board after winning a narrow 10-6 victory before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. The potential of PFAS from the proposed field has been widely debated during more than a dozen public meetings on the field project.

Under a section marked ‘purpose of regulation,’ the draft regulations state: ‘Whereas the siting of artificial turf has the potential to release PFAS and metals in drinking water supply areas; and these pollutants have repeatedly threatened surface and groundwater quality throughout Massachusetts; and surface and ground water resources contribute to the Oak Bluffs public drinking water supplies; The Town of Oak Bluffs adopts the following regulation…as a preventative measure for the purpose of preserving and protecting the quality of public drinking water drawn from our sole-source aquifer and to minimize the risk to public health and the environment.’

The regulations define artificial turf as ‘any synthetic, carpet-like material made to resemble turf and used as a permanently installed surface for landscaping, pets, sports, putting greens, and playgrounds.’

Martha’s Vineyard Commissioner Ben Robinson, who was one of the six votes against the field project, told The Times he was unaware of the regulations. When informed about them he said, ‘I’m glad they’re doing something about it.'”…

This content provided by the PFAS Project.