A Los Angeles City Council committee approved a motion Friday calling for a citywide ban on artificial turf for environmental and health reasons.
The council’s Energy and Environment Committee approved the motion, which will see lawmakers further investigate substances such as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other “forever chemicals” known to be found on lawns.
Artificial turf is used to give yards an evergreen look, but is more commonly used on recreational fields, schools and city grounds.
The council will not only study PFAS and other chemicals associated with artificial turf, but also its environmental impacts.
During the public comment period of the commission meeting, Lisa Hart of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance denounced the artificial turf.
“Why were we so fooled into thinking plastic lawns were a good idea? Soil is an ecosystem full of life and lots of stuff I don’t understand that has to do with sun and rain,” Hart said.
The motion says runoff from artificial turf, including tire rubber crumbs and other materials used for cushioning, could cause PFAS and other contaminants to leach into groundwater or wash into waterways and oceans, potentially contaminating drinking water.
Sean Garrity, past president of the Artificial Turf Council, has spoken out in support of the use of artificial turf, saying the industry is moving away from PFAS use on artificial turf altogether.
“Artificial turf eliminates the need for irrigation, reducing water usage and its associated costs. Additionally, artificial turf eliminates the need for harmful pesticides, fertilizers and fungicides, significantly reducing water pollution caused by toxic runoff of these chemicals,” Garrity said.
Efforts to conserve water have made artificial turf installations more popular, but water may still be used to cool the artificial turf when temperatures are high.
The motion states that grass contributes to the urban “heat island” effect, raising local temperatures.
California passed a bill in 2023 that will allow local governments to ban artificial turf on residential properties, repealing a 2015 state law that allowed the use of artificial turf as a water-saving measure.
“This should be a no-brainer for anyone who cares about the climate crisis, our children and clean, safe air, soil and water,” said Diane Wolke, executive director of Safe Healthy Playing Fields.
In April 2024, the Biden administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency, classified PFAS and other “forever chemicals” as hazardous to human health. The EPA concluded that exposure to PFAS can lead to reproductive effects, developmental delays, and the risk of some cancers.
Exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, skin contact and mucous membrane exposure, including from microplastic dust stirred up on artificial turf fields.
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Julie Sharp