Artificial Turf Staff Work Group Report
A Review of Benefits and Issues Associated with Natural and Artificial Turf Rectangular Stadium Fields
Appendix N (Public Comments Received) Part 1
Appendix N (Public Comments Received) Part 2
Appendix N (Public Comments Received) Part 3
Appendix N (Public Comments Received) Part 4
On July 1, 2010, the Montgomery County Council's Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment (T&E) Committee held a meeting with staffs from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Montgomery County Department of Parks (Parks), Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to discuss health and safety issues associated with artificial turf fields in Montgomery County.
An outcome of the meeting was a T&E Committee request for the formation of a staff work group to prepare a report that would provide guidance to the Committee in the face of concerns raised by some citizens and groups (see Appendices I and J) over the use of artificial turf fields in the County. The work group would include staff members from MCPS, Parks, DEP, and DHHS, along with a representative from Council staff. Specifically, the Committee requested the staff work group to further quantify the programming, environmental, cost-benefits, and other impacts of artificial turf vis--vis natural grass fields as part of its report.
The Draft Report of A Review of Benefits and Issues Associated with Natural Grass and Artificial Turf Rectangular Stadium Fields was submitted for Public Comment on April 13, 2011. Public comments were received through June 7, 2011.
A final report was transmitted on September 14, 2011. A compilation of all public comments received during the comment period is included in Appendix N of the Final Report. Chapter IX, Discussion of Public Comments to the Draft Report, provides a summary of the comments received, further discussion regarding some of the major points raised in the comments, and references to areas in the Final Report that reflect changes from the Draft Report.
A joint T&E and Education Committee discussion of the Final Report was held on September 26, 2011. Download the Council Staff packet from that meeting.