The Burrillville Land Trust is in opposition to Artificial Turf Carpet in Burrillville

 

Council
Don Fox, Chair
Town of Burrillville
105 Main Street
Harrisville, Rhode Island 02830

The Burrillville Land Trust is in opposition to the purchase and use of Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Artificial Turf Carpet in Burrillville

This letter is coming from
Paul A. Roselli
665 Maureen Circle
Mapleville, Rhode Island 02839
In my capacity representing the Burrillville Land Trust

Dear Chairman Fox,
Members of the Board of the Burrillville Land Trust, a private, all volunteer land trust, is writing to
you and the members of the Burrillville Town Council to express our opposition to the purchase,
use of, or inclusion of Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the construction, production
or use of, in laying down artificial turf carpet or components used in the production in and
procurement of artificial turf carpet, anywhere in the Town of Burrillville and to abide by Rhode
Island House Bill 7356 signed intro law on June 26, 2024

The mission of the Burrillville Land Trust is to preserve the rural character of the Town of
Burrillville through education, advocacy and acquisition.

The contents of this letter is in line with the mission of the Burrillville Land Trust.

PFAS, as you may know, are a category of chemicals that contain multiple fluorine atoms bonded
to a chain of carbon atoms. These long carbon-chain molecules are persistent breaking down
over hundreds or thousands of years. Some say that the molecule never breaks down. Industry
has been using these manufactured chemicals since the 1940s: including to waterproof wet
weather gear; make non-stick cookware non-stick; in stain-resistant fabrics and carpets;
firefighting foams; products that are manufactured to be grease-, water- or oil-resistant; fast-food
packaging... the list goes on. Thousands of such chemicals exist. A study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified over 4,700 PFAS-related Chemical

Abstract Service (CAS) numbers. PFAS chemicals also pose concerns, including persistence,

bioaccumulation, drinking water contamination and adverse health effects.

In the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Safety Data Sheet dated May 16,

2023 Per and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are listed as the following: 2

• Highly flammable liquid and vapor
• Toxic if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled
• May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways
• Suspected of causing cancer
• Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child
• Causes damage to eyes, kidney, liver, heart, central nervous system
• May cause damage to organs (liver, immune system) through prolonged or repeated exposure
  

Given the severity of these substances as listed in everyday SDSs, its incumbent that the Town

take action to limit and eliminate all known harmful substances from the Town’s procurement list.

Millions of companies, federal, state and municipal governments, and more abide by SDS as

guidance to reduce risk and harm, and to reduce their insurance costs. PFAS and the artificial 3

turf is one such known harmful substance that should never be purchased or used by the Town

Council for the citizens of the Town of Burrillville.4

We ask that the Town of Burrillville Town Council reject the use of and procurement of any and all

Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in artificial turf carpet. And we ask the Town Council

to adhere to the State of Rhode Island legislation enacted on June 26, 2024, the Consumer PFAS

Ban Act of 2024 (Senate Bill S2152), as this legislation imposes a sweeping prohibition on the

use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in products available for sale or

produced within the state.

Sincerely,

Paul A. Roselli

President, Burrillville Land Trust