Viewpoint: Keep grass at Ogren Park, not artificial turf

Mary Mulcaire-Jones

At the request of The Big Sky Professional Baseball Company, the City of Missoula is considering replacing the grass at Ogren Park baseball field with artificial turf.

At a recent informational session, representatives from the company shared their reasons for the request, highlighting the benefits of an extended season.

Ironically, the touted benefit of an extended season and more intensive use of the field, correlates with more exposure to the health risks associated with artificial turf.

Longer seasons and more playing time also means more micro and nanoplastics and their associated chemicals will be released into the surrounding air and players lungs, and into the water of the nearby Clark Fork River.

One study from MT Sinai Medical School reports that an average artificial turf field includes 40,000 pounds of plastic backing and blades, and 400,000 pounds of infill, which is used to hold up the blades and provide cushioning.

Manufacturers are announcing new ‘green’ materials that make their product environmentally friendly but fail to provide any statistics or studies to back their claims.

My six grandkids will be playing on Missoula sports fields for years. I do not want them playing on artificial grass with plastic grass blades, infill that has no proven health safety record, and all the associated chemicals in these materials.

Let’s make the choice for our kids' long-term health, let them play on natural grass! Please ask your City Council member to vote NO on using artificial turf on our Missoula playing fields.