PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 9, 2025
During an almost four-hour meeting at South Portland High School, parents, residents, city employees and industry representatives debated the virtues of artificial turf, a synthetic plastic product designed to replicate grass. Supporters said the artificial turf allows for more play time and lower maintenance costs, while opponents said the product contributes to plastic pollution and increased injuries. Sarah Woodbury, of Defend Our Health, made her pitch that artificial turf can contain toxic chemicals like PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals” that can cause cancer, and slough off microplastics into waterways. In 2029, a Maine ban on all artificial turf that contains PFAS will go into effect, and Woodbury said her organization will introduce a measure in the Legislature this session that would institute a three-year ban on all synthetic turf.