The Green Acres rules (N.J.A.C. 7:36) govern the award of loans or matching grants, or both, to local government units for the acquisition or development of land, and matching grants to nonprofits for the acquisition or development of land, for outdoor recreation and conservation purposes. These rules establish project eligibility requirements, application requirements, funding award categories and criteria, matching grant and loan terms, and program administrative requirements.
The updated Green Acres Rules must fund safe land projects for the environment and the people playing on them. Projects like artificial turf development should be excluded from the program.
In advance of the expiration of these rules in December 2025, the Green Acres Program invites our local government and nonprofit partners and the public to contribute to the process of making changes to the rules.
New Jersey must invest in safe, non-toxic, natural play surfaces on sports fields and playgrounds. This is why the Green Acres Program must award municipalities that want to invest in secure and eco-friendly recreation projects, not artificial turf.
Here are some talking points for your comments:
A regular-sized artificial turf field contains 500,000 lbs of plastic, which results in microplastic shedding into the environment. The infill that keeps the field’s plastic blades in place typically measures 0.5-0.3 millimeters, therefore meeting the technical definition of microplastics in the European Union. The plastic blades are not physically bound by the turf and scatter into the surrounding environment. A European Commission report in 2018 estimated that 1 to 4 percent of field infill needs to be replaced yearly due to migrating off-site or compacting. The turf blades degrade and are lost to the air, water, and soil.
A synthetic turf field lasts 8 to 10 years on average. Thousands of pounds of infill and plastic carpet must be removed and replaced at disposal. Using conventional methods, mixed plastic waste, such as synthetic turf, is not recyclable. Therefore, they are typically sent to landfills, where they will remain for centuries. Sometimes, turf is improperly dumped outside of landfills.
Synthetic turf blades and infill materials are made of complex mixtures of chemicals, including many known to be harmful to human health and the environment. Underlayer and plastic grass blades are made of polyethylene, and to date, all tests of installed turf detect per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
On a warm day, synthetic turf radiates more heat than a plant-based surface, leading to extreme temperatures and the heat island effect. The elevated surface temperatures of artificial turf fields have been shown to contribute to heat-related illness. One study found football players are eleven times more likely to suffer a heat-related illness playing on synthetic turf.
Additionally, there are significant land use impacts when open space and natural grass playing fields are converted into artificial turf. Loss of wildlife and natural habitat, increased impervious cover, and increased flooding are just a few.
Artificial grass typically costs $ 450k to $1.5 M for an official-sized athletic field. Maintenance and fertilizer costs may be higher than natural grass, but you must replace these artificial turf fields every 8-10 years. So, over the long term, natural grass is less expensive and better for the environment.
Many residents across the state are fighting artificial turf projects in their towns. An example is Cape May moving towards an ordinance to ban artificial turf in the city.
New Jersey must invest in safe, non-toxic, natural play surfaces on sports fields and playgrounds. This is why the Green Acres Program must award municipalities that want to invest in secure and eco-friendly recreation projects, not artificial turf.
Send your message NOW urging the NJDEP to stop using the Green Acres Program to fund artificial turf!
