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Scientists, town officials and parents urge state ban on tire‑crumb infill in playgrounds and fields
Summary
Multiple experts and community petitioners testified in favor of House Bill 1040, which would ban tire‑derived infill in synthetic turf and playgrounds, citing toxic tire‑related chemicals found in runoff, soil and field materials and advocating for natural grass or non‑tire alternatives.
Science experts, municipal officials and citizen petitioners urged the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to support House Bill 1040, a bill that would ban the use of tire‑derived materials (often called ‘‘crumb rubber’’) in playgrounds and athletic fields in Massachusetts.
The citizen petitioner and parent Tracy Stewart described local soil and water testing in her town of Medway and said those tests and peer research link tire‑derived materials to chemicals problematic for aquatic life and potentially human contact. ‘‘For the past 25 years, this industry has been bamboozling the communities who they market to,’’ Stewart said, arguing for a statewide prohibition on tire infill materials.
Environmental chemist Zenyue (Jin Yutian) Tian, an assistant professor who works on tire‑related aquatic toxicity, described laboratory and field studies detecting tire‑related transformation products — including the compound 6‑PPD‑quinone — in runoff and field soils and showing toxicity to fish at very low concentrations. ‘‘We found it at high concentration, and we also detected chemical and a lot of other tire related chemical in the water and soil contents near the field,’’ Tian said, and recommended applying the precautionary principle.
Susan Chapnick, an environmental scientist with decades of hazardous‑waste experience and a member of the Massachusetts DEP Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup Advisory Committee, told the committee that crumb rubber infill can contain levels of zinc and other analytes that exceed the state’s reportable concentrations for contaminated media. ‘‘Crumb rubber infills should not be used in artificial turf,’’ she said, summarizing a 2024 report from her town’s study committee.
Supporters pointed to local bans or moratoria in several Massachusetts communities and to alternatives such as topsoil, pine mulch and improved natural grass designs that can support heavy use. Testimony acknowledged other infill products exist, but experts said alternatives should be evaluated for chemical additives before adoption and that natural grass remains the preferred option where feasible.
The committee heard no pro‑industry testimony in this panel. Witnesses asked the committee to report HB 1040 favorably and to couple any statewide prohibition with funding or transition support for municipalities and school districts that may need to replace existing fields.
Ending: The bill remains at committee. Supporters asked for favorable action and for funding assistance or guidance so municipalities can transition away from tire‑derived infill.
