GRASS VALLEY, CA—California’s Attorney General’s offices and the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) initiated legal action against several turf companies under California’s Proposition 65 law today.
http://www.asgi.us/publicdownloads/Ragen_Prop65_complaint_09_2008.pdf
The action is calling for turf makers to reformulate their products to eliminate the lead risk to children. The turf industry has stated that it will voluntarily comply with the recent federal law banning lead in children’s product, following standards of reduction published by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), recently.
http://www.asgi.us/publicdownloads/STC_Voluntary_Standards_07_2008.pdf
Since voluntary industry standards are unenforceable, California Attorney General’s and CEH effort intends to hold the companies to a legally binding lead standard.
Recent testing* shows high lead levels in turf from Field Turf, Tiger Turf, EcoAlliance and turf purchased from Costco (Pregra), among other companies. Deputy Attorney General Dennis Ragen and CEH has been in discussions with AstroTurf (representing themselves, Crystal Turf and Synlawn) and has welcomed the company’s strong intention to clean up the problem.
Also very important to review is the newly published San Francisco Parks and Recreation Task Force Report and Recommendations for the planning and purchase of more than 30 sports related activity fields for city and county uses in the next few years – some natural and some artificial (they see the need for both).
This has 11 key recommendations including zero lead in yarn, alternative infill materials, recyclable materials content among other elements of current interest. http://www.asgi.us/publicdownloads/SFParks_Playfields_8.21.08.pdf