August 16,
2007
Dear Parents, Students and
Members of the
As many of you are aware, an
article appeared in The New London
Day on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, that discussed athletic turf
raising questions. Obviously we did
extensive research prior to the decision of selecting the field, and at no time
during our deliberations did the issue of the field compounds causing problems
ever surface.
I have contacted a member
from the Department of Public Health and he was comfortable in stating that, in
his opinion, there is no cause for concern. I further discussed this issue with
Keith Day from Forever Fields, and he has assured me that all rubber used in our
field is from the United States and testing is done by the ASTM (American
Society of Testing of Materials) at temperatures from 0-150° or those temperatures under which an outdoor
field would exist. In addition, he
stated that the product has been approved by the EPA, DOT, and the FDA that all
particles are inert. There are no
sand particles in our field, and this product has proven to be safest and the
most durable.
The administration, Board of
Education, as well as the School Building Committee, keep student safety as our
highest priority, and with the research I have done and the reassurance I have
received from the Department of Public Health, I am confident that our field is
safe to use and that students and the community will enjoy it for years to
come.
Sincerely,
David B.
Erwin
Superintendent of
Schools