Statement on Artificial Turf
- carpegreenum
- May 14
- 2 min read
Updated: May 20
The Charlotte Energy and Climate Action Committee, the Charlotte Grange, and Sustainable Charlotte Vermont are opposed to the use of artificial turf in the Town of Charlotte or anywhere in its upstream watershed.
Independent studies show that artificial turf with crumb rubber infill contains PFAS, microplastics, nanoplastics, carcinogens, and numerous additional chemicals that are known to increase rates of cancer, infertility, and developmental disabilities. PFAS are highly mobile and travel for miles by air and water.
The serious risks that PFAS pose have prompted a growing number of states and municipalities, including Vermont, to ban artificial turf containing it. The Vermont ban (Act 131) took effect on January 1, 2026.
Forever chemicals are insidious and extremely expensive to remediate. A Massachusetts town suffering from PFAS contamination, for example, had to install an $11.5M water filtration system.
The Charlotte Town Plan pledges to protect ground water quality for current and future residents, and designates surface waters, wetlands, shoreline areas, aquatic habitat, water supply, and ground water recharge areas all as Areas of High Public Value. Erratic weather patterns caused by climate change—extremes of both flooding and droughts—put increased stress on these areas, underscoring the importance of the protective designations.
Plastic turf installed locally or in the upstream watershed is potentially detrimental to the economic health of Charlotte’s treasured organic farming community.
Artificial turf, which is unusable above 87 degrees due to the increased risk of heat stroke, creates intense local heat fields that exacerbate climate impacts. The plastic is a wildlife dead zone fatal to birds if they consume the infill; and its installation eliminates carbon-absorption by the natural fields they replace. Manufacturing, installation, service, and disposal of a 2-acre artificial turf field generates 55.6 metric tons of CO2, while natural grass reduces CO2 by 16.9 metric tons.
For athletic fields that need improvement, the longterm economical, healthy, and climate-compatible solution that is compliant with Charlotte’s values is organic grass with well-engineered drainage.
Generational decisions should meet the standards and expectations of those who live with the consequences. This is one of those decisions; town residents should be vigilant about preventing the introduction of and damage from artificial turf in Charlotte and its surrounding communities.
May 2026
Selected References
An overview of problems with artificial turf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nTqqFVqKc
To explore more: https://www.testtheturf.org/news
For two more pages of references to explore, send a request through the website.
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