By Dakota Antelman — Dakota@concordbridge.org
The jury is out on whether crews should replace the aging Doug White Fields at Concord-Carlisle High School with natural grass or more artificial turf.
As advocates on both sides of the issue make their case, several oppose an option that could be seen as a sort of middle ground.
“We really don’t like their performance characteristics,” said Friends of Concord-Carlisle Playing Fields treasurer Erik Jarnryd in discussing “organic crumb” products. “We don’t think they’re good for the athletes.”
Traditional turf fields use pellets known as crumb rubber to fill the space between blades of artificial grass. Alternatives replace the rubber with pellets made from natural materials including coconut fibers, wood, and/or cork.
Some communities have turned to organic crumb to assuage concerns about traditional turf. In Concord, though, Climate Action Committee co-chair Janet Miller said she isn’t a fan.
“Those natural materials will rot if given the chance,” she said, “so I think they’re treated with fungicide,” which “makes them a little less natural.”
Read more: Talk of replacing Doug White Fields spurs debate
Jarnryd also raised a red flag.
“With changes in temperature, the [organic] crumb compacts and settles in areas really strangely and can lead to more athletic injuries,” he said.
Similar to Miller, Jarnryd said organic crumb runs the risk of harboring mold and mildew.
“There may be a situation where people say, ‘Well, what about organic crumb?’” Jarnryd said. “We just want to be clear that, functionally, it doesn’t work for us, and it creates all types of hassles that we don’t want to deal with, either.”
