the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, as artificial turf becomes increasingly common across American playgrounds, school fields, and suburban lawns, a legal battle is unfolding that raises pressing questions: Is fake grass safe — and are companies trying to silence those who say it might not be?
Amy McCambridge, a longtime Ridgewood soccer coach and Marine Corps veteran, says she was let go from her position with the Maroons Soccer Club after she spoke out about the borough’s plan to install artificial turf at the Schedler property.
That’s the controversy at the heart of a recent lawsuit filed by Polyloom, an artificial turf manufacturer, against four environmental health experts who were set to speak at a seminar titled “The Trouble With Turf.” The event, scheduled for January 2025, was meant to discuss potential health and environmental risks of synthetic turf. But it never happened — the lawsuit shut it down before a single word was spoken.
💼 The Lawsuit: Silencing Science?
Polyloom claims the seminar’s promotional materials contained “misstatements and falsehoods” that could cause irreparable reputational harm. The company is seeking at least $75,000 in damages and says it acted to protect its name from defamatory statements — even before any public remarks were made.
In response, the four defendants — including former EPA ecologist Kyla Bennett and Dr. Sarah Evans of Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine — have countersued, alleging this is a SLAPP lawsuit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), designed to intimidate and silence public discourse on a critical health issue.
“Silencing scientists is really hurting communities,” said Dr. Evans. “People deserve access to science so they can make informed decisions about where their kids play.”
🧪 What’s the Concern With Artificial Turf?
Artificial turf has been around since the 1960s and is widely promoted as a low-maintenance, pesticide-free, and water-saving alternative to natural grass. But it’s now under scrutiny for a variety of potential risks:
🔬 Chemical Exposure
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PFAS (“forever chemicals”), linked to birth defects, cancer, and hormone disruption, have been found in turf materials.
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Infill, the rubbery layer under turf often made from shredded car tires, can contain carcinogens and reproductive toxins.
🔥 Heat Risks
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Turf can reach dangerously high temperatures in direct sunlight, significantly higher than natural grass.
🌍 Microplastics
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Over time, synthetic blades and infill break down into microplastics, contributing to widespread plastic pollution. One Mediterranean study found turf fibers made up over 15% of large plastic particles in sampled waters.
🏟️ Turf Use Is Booming — So Are Health Questions
Despite the concerns, turf is rapidly expanding in public spaces:
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In 2023, 1,200–1,500 new fields were installed.
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The U.S. now has around 19,000 synthetic turf fields, used for sports, recess, and even private landscaping.
While companies like Polyloom argue turf is safe — comparing its materials to those used in medical devices — many scientists stress that the lack of long-term human studies leaves real questions unanswered.
“The exposure exists — the danger exists,” said Dr. Vasilis Vasiliou of the Yale School of Public Health. “The science isn’t settled, not because there’s no risk, but because we still lack the human studies.”
♻️ Industry’s Shifting Standards
To address mounting concerns, turf manufacturers have begun evolving:
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TenCate, Polyloom’s parent company, claims it no longer uses PFAS in its turf yarns.
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The company says it now employs organic infill materials like cork and olive pits.
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In Europe, they’re recycling old turf into new fields and plastic lumber, with plans to bring those operations to the U.S.
Still, skepticism remains — especially when lawsuits appear to target those asking uncomfortable questions.
⚖️ Legal and Free Speech Implications
Legal experts, including First Amendment attorney JT Morris, say the Polyloom case bears all the hallmarks of a SLAPP suit. These cases are often brought not to win, but to discourage public criticism by burdening defendants with legal costs and delays.
“You have a large company suing over a discussion about public health,” Morris said. “That certainly raises SLAPP concerns.”
🏡 What Should Communities Know?
Parents, coaches, and school boards are stuck in the middle — balancing turf’s promises of durability and cost-savings with the unknown long-term consequences for children’s health and the environment.
Some towns, like Boston and Westport, Connecticut, have already restricted or banned artificial turf installations. Others, like Santa Clara, California, have faced heated debates and industry pushback.
📣 The Bottom Line
The question “Is fake grass safe?” is more than an environmental one — it’s a battleground of public health, corporate power, and free speech. As scientific research grows and more voices join the conversation, communities will need access to unbiased information and the freedom to debate without fear of being sued.
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I’m not under anyone stump so they can’t silence me, they can kiss my ass
Trust the science. Where have we heard that before?
From qualified scientists with decades of expertise in their fields?
How many booster shots have you had?
I had worked for a chemical company in the past , a material safety data sheet is what is needed to determine some of the concerns and hazards of turf fields use . I’m sure some of the chemicals used are toxic . That may be changing but shouldn’t everyone know what is used ?
To me these firms are dangerous and my kids had to play in them .
Unfortunately these toxic turf companies have millions of dollars in municipal monies and private funding and big bucks are at stake so instead they lie. They skew the test results, don’t use independent laboratories, test parts per million instead of parts per trillion and do not recycle the plastic grass once its lifespan has been exceeded so it ends up in a landfill and burned (more toxicity). FieldTurf has been fighting class action suits in NJ for lying about their product and independent test have come back positive but turf vendors state that their products are PFAS free.
Artificial turf installations in RW flood zones has been a disaster.
the only reason ridgewood wants artificial turf is because the private sports clubs want it as it allows more use. these private clubs have contributed to the rw politicians and now they want their fields in return.
are. they really non profit? lets see the books, the registration for all kids outside ridgewood.
This is one big smoke show and its got Paulie PFAS as its poster child.
Yes, we sll know that Vagianos, Weitz and Winograd promised turf and a giant field. The village sports people are now angry because what they were promised is now up to the state and its anyone’s guess if it will be approved. The historic house is only as good as the concession food it can crank out. Hotdogs and burgers probably. Oh and the newcomers wine parties
Schedler project is dead.
With a name like Polyloom what do you expect? As Elaine said on Seinfeld “fake, fake fake, fake”
With Schedler now over their next push will be artificial turf for Vets field.
Astro turf is becoming like asbestos. Only a matter of time before existing installations are removed and new ones are banned.
companies cannot say turf is PFAS free it is part of the extrusion process when making the plastic grass.They lie. We should sue them for false claims and our kids playing on it without consent.
It’s the psycho parents living through their own dreams within the youth sports. It’s so pathetic. You could literally make a documentary watching how they behave at tournaments, etc., they are ruining everything for their own kids.
Amy is going to go back and rip that club to shreds. Not a smart move by the Maroons.