Verona resident urges town to reject Tenati Pivot turf, convert Centennial Field to natural grass

Carrie Bass, chair of Sustainable Verona, urged Verona officials during public comment to reject a proposed Tenati Pivot artificial turf replacement at Centennial Field and instead convert the site to professionally managed natural grass.

Bass said Sustainable Verona’s research — including a 2024 study prepared by Montclair State University students and a subsequent peer-reviewed paper — recommended returning Centennial Field to natural turf, and she presented measurements and academic findings she said cast doubt on Tenati’s marketing claims about product safety and cooling performance.

Bass highlighted several central concerns. She described artificial turf as a petroleum-based product with a large embedded carbon footprint, saying manufacturing a single field can involve roughly 40,000 pounds of plastic and an embedded water footprint on the order of 34,000 gallons. She warned that installation replaces natural soils that sequester carbon, that exposure-driven photo-degradation releases greenhouse gases over time, and that typical field lifespans of about 8–15 years mean repeated replacement and recurring taxpayer cost.

Bass also raised chemical and microplastic risks. She said PFAS (forever chemicals) are linked to cancer and developmental harms and criticized industry testing thresholds that report 'none detected' at levels she argued are not sufficiently sensitive (parts-per-trillion) for public-health concerns. "No detectable levels of PFAS does not mean it is PFAS-free," Bass said, adding that Tenati’s materials state only that PFAS are not intentionally added.

Using visuals, Bass described how rainwater can carry microplastics, PFAS and additives from turf into surrounding soils and, potentially, groundwater aquifers. She noted a Verona Community Center well sits at a lower elevation than nearby turf fields, including Centennial, and cited published shedding estimates (she referenced figures of roughly 2,000–3,000 pounds per year for some older systems and much larger estimates for some newer, high-blade systems).

Bass questioned the sourcing and environmental cost of Pivot Cool infill, which she said is an aragonite (carbonate) mineral likely dredged from shallow marine deposits; she estimated Centennial would require roughly 200,000–275,000 pounds (about 100–140 tons) of that material. She said dredging can damage seabed habitats and that public documentation naming the supplier or mine site is not publicly available.

On surface temperatures, Bass cited peer-reviewed and local field measurements: "On an 80° day an artificial turf field can measure 120° to 150°; on a 90° day it can exceed 150°," she said, and reported measuring the Tenati Pivot field at MKA Van Brunt when air temperature was 92°F and the average surface temperature measured near 160°F. Bass used those figures to argue that Pivot Cool’s advertised evaporative cooling did not perform reliably in hot, dry conditions without frequent watering.

Bass also raised safety and playability concerns, saying players and some studies have linked certain turf surfaces to higher rates of lower-extremity injuries and increased abrasion. She cited an NFL Players Association survey reported in her remarks that showed strong player preference for high-quality natural grass.

On recycling and end-of-life, Bass described industry pathways that involve shredding and pyrolysis and said Tenati's own marketing notes a low recycling rate (about 10% in materials she cited). She warned pyrolysis and other processing can carry emissions and hazardous residues and said towns should demand clear evidence of field recycling and downstream disposal practices.

Bass noted regulatory momentum: she cited several New Jersey legislative proposals referenced in her remarks and said the Verona Environmental Commission passed a resolution urging conversion to grass for Centennial Field. She urged Verona to consult a certified sports field manager to evaluate whether Centennial and underused Veterans Field could be restored and managed as high-performing natural grass fields that withstand intensive use and cost less over time.

The presentation and supporting materials are posted on Sustainable Verona’s website; Bass offered a contact email for follow-up and closed by asking the town to prioritize long-term environmental and player-safety outcomes over short-term installation choices.