Leftover Metrocard Change Infuriates Some
UPDATE: City To Remove 14 Blocks Of Bike Lanes On Bedford Ave.
2nd Avenue Subway Cooling System Will "Blight" UES
Hamster Rides The 4 Train
Should Payphones Be Free?
Today City Council is hearing arguments for a bill that would prohibit the use of artificial rubber in all city playgrounds and fields. The bill comes on the heels of the temporary shutdown of Thomas Jefferson Park, a soccer field at 113th Street and First Avenue where five times more lead than the Environmental Protection Agency allows in playground soil was discovered in December. Advocates of the bill say that dangerous amount of toxins are contained in the "tire crumbs" that make up the turf. Co-sponsor of the legislation Councilman Eric Giola said yesterday, "You wouldn't let your children play in a junkyard, but many of the same chemicals are in this material." The Parks Department says that Thomas Jefferson Park is an aberration, possibly caused by coal that was there in years past. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe adds that grass parks may not actually be more environmentally conscious when you factor in the pesticides, herbicides, aeration and millions of gallons of water that go into maintaining them.
Parks Artificial Turf May Be Pumped Full of Lead
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebookComments (9) [rss]
Post a comment (Comment Policy)
Tips
Newsmap
I just hate it when my little Johnnie is exposed to all those horrible horrible chemicals. I'm keeping him inside from now on and he can play all the sports he wants on the xbox I bought him for his birthday. Plus he's closer to the refrigerator if he needs a snack and soft drink.
signed,
Concerned parent
new york is run by pussies.
I have to say, the parks department's explanation of all of this made plenty of sense.
Let them play in the streets. Oops. Wait. Asphalt rubber, where ground up tires are mixed in with the asphalt, is becoming more common in road construction. There's just no getting away from the old tires.
hey handsome devil, that explanation only makes sense if you actually believe the parks department uses pesticides and millions of gallons of water maintaining parks. have you been to a park lately? (at least a park run by the city and not a private group.) they don't spend a dimne on maintenance, and they think with these pieces of **** they won't have to.
Good point. I think they take care of grass when they first plant it, but once its healthy they never water or spray it.
That said, people need to cut the shit. Protip: don't let your retarded kid lick the floor and he'll be fine.
I used to play on the grass fields on Roosevelt Island, which saw only moderate use -- and, man, that place was a muddy, nasty moonscape. I can't imagine what Chelsea Waterside would look like (if they could even put grass there, which they probably couldn't) -- with all the use it sees, it'd be a dirt pit.
Old "carpet style" astroturf was a nightmare of busted joints and strawberry scars. I'd hate to go back to that.
So field turf was a godsend -- I'm sure there are a lot of leagues playing right now that couldn't play without it. If they can come up with a better idea (and not spend $700,000 on each new field to install it), then great. But otherwise, I think we'd need a real compelling reason to abandon the field turf, and it doesn't sound like there is one.
These overbearing parents need to shut the fuck up.
Other large cities have somehow figured out a way to have grass in their parks. Why not New York?