OEHHA Will Hold Workshop at LA Valley College to Get Input for Study of Health Impacts of Synthetic Turf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAM DELSON 916-324-0955 (o)
916-764-0955 (m)

SACRAMENTO – State environmental officials will hold a free public workshop at Los Angeles Valley College to discuss plans and solicit input for a new study of the potential health impacts of synthetic turf fields and playground mats.

More than 200 people have participated in two earlier workshops in San Diego and Berkeley and an interactive webinar for the synthetic turf study. The final workshop will be at Los Angeles Valley College’s Monarch Auditorium on December 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. The auditorium is located at 5800 Fulton Avenue in Valley Glen.

Athletes of all ages, parents, coaches, and other interested residents are invited to attend the workshop to learn more about the study and provide input.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) will conduct the workshop and the study in cooperation with the state Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). Both departments are part of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

“We’ve really appreciated the valuable input we received at the earlier workshops,” said Lauren Zeise, Ph.D., acting Director of OEHHA. “We want as many people as possible to join us at Valley College to provide suggestions, especially information about the ways people use synthetic turf fields and playground mats, and how they contact the crumb rubber infill, which influences how they might be exposed to chemicals in synthetic turf and the mats. This will help us to design and conduct the best possible study.”

OEHHA will conduct the study under an interagency agreement with CalRecycle. The new research will build on two earlier studies of synthetic turf that OEHHA conducted with support from CalRecycle.

An R.S.V.P is not required for attending the free workshop, but would be appreciated. Limited free parking will be available to workshop participants. Please register to attend.

OEHHA is the primary state entity for the assessment of risks posed by chemical contaminants in the environment. Its mission is to protect and enhance public health and the environment by scientific evaluation of risks posed by hazardous substances.

To submit comments or questions about the project, please send emails to SyntheticTurf@oehha.ca.gov.

To follow the progress of the study and be notified of future events, please register for the OEHHA Synthetic Turf Listserv.