Update on Artificial Turf Ban
Investigation
Climate Action Subcommittee
October 4, 2023
Peter Martin
Deputy Director – Water Resources, Santa Rosa Water
1 CITY OBJECTIVES AND DRIVERS
Council Work Plan FY
2023/24: Directs city staff to
investigate of the feasibility of
additional city-wide
restrictions of artificial turf
installations
2 SYNTHETIC TURF
• A surface cover for residential, sports
fields and commercial settings, that is
made of synthetic fibers specifically to
resemble/mimic grass or turf
• Polyethylene, nylon or a mixture of
polyethylene and nylon
• Large applications have evolved;
including filler granules, vertical
drainage design elements
3 SYNTHETIC TURF BENEFITS
• Durable, easy to maintain, and
uses significantly less water
• No fertilizer requirements and
significantly less pesticide and
herbicide application than
natural turf grasses
• Allows for year round and heavy
use in sports applications
• Less maintenance
4 SYNTHETIC TURF CONCERNS
• 8 - 20 year lifespan: waste recovery
options are very limited
• Manufacturing and environmental
chemicals contributions
• CA Legislation – AB 1423 (2023)
• Heat island effects - displaces living soil
cover which counteracts the benefits of
natural turf and exposed soil
• Researching ways to reduce heat island effects
• Most large applications utilize synthetic
“crumb”
• Environmental pollution and health concerns 5
HUMAN HEALTH AFFECTS
• Rubber crumb infill and other plastic constituents include chemicals in their manufacturing that are known carcinogens
• 2019 US Environmental Protection Agency Report regarding the evaluation of human exposure to synthetic turf fields and crumb rubber infill
• In general, the findings from the report support the premise that while chemicals are present as expected in the tire crumb rubber, human exposure appears to be limited while using the play facilities
• More comprehensive data for human health risks assessments is needed (US EPA)
6 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
• Staff found that there is a lack of quality
research into quantifying the effects
caused by synthetic turf on hydrological
processes, such as stormwater runoff,
retention and drainage
• It is assumed that over time that aerial
deposition on these surfaces and the
breakdown of synthetic and infill
materials present risk without
engineered controls
7 By Drguttorm - Own work, CC BY 2.5,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=969023
CALIFORNIA CODE RESTRICTIONS
California Code, Government Code - GOV § 53087.7
• Cities, charter cities, and counties can not enact any ordinance or regulation, or enforce any existing ordinance or regulation, that prohibits the installation of drought tolerant landscaping, synthetic grass, or artificial turf on residential property. • May impose reasonable restrictions on the type of drought tolerant landscaping, synthetic grass, or artificial turf that may be installed on residential property • Specify that that those restrictions do not do any of the following:
• (1) Substantially increase the cost of installing drought tolerant landscaping, synthetic grass, or artificial turf.
• (2) Effectively prohibit the installation of drought tolerant landscaping, synthetic grass, or artificial turf.
• (3) Significantly impede the installation of drought tolerant landscaping, including, but not limited to, a requirement that a residential yard must be completely covered with living plant material.
8 OTHER JURISDICTIONS
9 • Several jurisdictions in California have
instituted restrictions through building codes
and turf replacement rebate incentives
• Some of these restrictions include:
• Percentage of landscape that can be
comprised of artificial turf
• Slope restrictions
• Design review
• Standards for installation
• Permeability considerations
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
• Staff have not conducted outreach to schools or
other facilities/agencies that operate within Santa
Rosa and have/may be considering artificial turf
• The organized sports community has advocated
for artificial turf surfaces at city facilities and parks • Sports tournaments
• Use of existing park’s facilities currently limited
• Unavailable during certain weather conditions
10 EXISTING SANTA ROSA POLICIES AND
ORDINANCE
• Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO)
• Compliance with landscape standards for all new and
rehabilitated landscapes (tied to building permits)
• Does not specifically prohibit synthetic turf
• Building Code, Weed Abatement Ordinance, Firewise WUI Landscape Guidance (no restrictions on artificial turf)
• Santa Rosa Water Turf Replacement Rebate Programs
• Does not rebate the installation of artificial turf, discouraged in general when auditing landscapes
11 SANTA ROSA LANDSCAPE
ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS
• Current landscape design
oversight within the City
jurisdiction is limited to:
• those projects that require a
building permit
12 DIRECTION FROM CLIMATE ACTION
SUBCOMMITTEE
• What are the subcommittee’s
concerns regarding artificial turf?
• What additional information
would be helpful to form a
recommendation?
13 QUESTIONS?
14