Nantucket board orders more testing and negotiations on stadium turf after heated public debate

The Nantucket Board of Health on April 16 stopped short of imposing a moratorium on new artificial-turf installations but unanimously authorized continued negotiations among health department staff, the Nantucket Public Schools and the Nantucket Land & Water Council to finalize a pre-installation testing and monitoring agreement for the Vito Capizzo Stadium project on Surfside Road.

The board’s vice chair, Meredith Raffery, proposed an emergency pause to installations “just until the testing is done,” citing concerns about PFAS, micro- and nanoplastics, heavy metals and long-term groundwater risks. “I am asking, as a parent and as a community member and as a board of health member, that we take a minute and really look what is in this because we haven't looked at that,” Raffery said.

Town counsel John Georgio told the board a moratorium would need to be adopted as a health regulation under Chapter 111, Section 31, and would require a public hearing with at least 21 days’ notice. “If the Board of Health is interested in considering a moratorium, I would recommend the following procedures,” Georgio said, adding that any…