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Pro baseball team sparks heated debate with proposal for local park: 'This is just something that we've decided to do out of convenience'

Critics say a key feature of the plan is unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Critics say a key feature of the plan is unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Photo Credit: SF Parks Alliance

The San Francisco Standard reported on a debate that is affecting the future of Crocker-Amazon Park in southern San Francisco. 

Some want to renovate fields in the park by installing artificial turf, and others see this as an environmental disaster. 

What's happening?

One point everyone can agree on is that the fields need to be improved. The Crocker-Amazon Park, totaling about 40 acres, has been a Bay Area site for team sports for almost 100 years.

The philanthropic branch of the San Francisco Giants' baseball team intends to revamp the fields to bring more baseball and softball opportunities to the area. 

Team executive Jack Blair said that inclement weather is a factor that limits playing time on the grass fields, which would not be a concern with artificial turf, and the fake grass would cut down on maintenance time and costs.

In addition to the limited playing time on existing fields, the lawn is plagued with gopher holes that make using the fields hazardous. However, citizens of the community are opposed to the use of artificial turf.

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"It's not like getting a plastic shunt in your heart or something where you have to have that plastic in order to live," retiree Bob Hall, who has raised concerns about the plan to replace grass lawns with artificial turf, told The San Francisco Standard. "This is just something that we've decided to do out of convenience, which is a lot of our problems in society." 

Many of the locals share Hall's concerns about the artificial turf being unnecessary and potentially harmful. 

Why is the debate around artificial turf important?

Though artificial turf can provide a low-maintenance, all-weather surface to support a variety of sports and activities, there are real health and environmental concerns that some opponents to the plans for the Crocker-Amazon Park have voiced.

Artificial turf typically contains PFAS, known as "forever chemicals." These toxins can leach into soil and water systems, contributing to pollution that can lead to health issues for wildlife and humans. 

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Artificial turf can also release harmful pollutants like methane — a potent planet-warming gas — that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause temperatures to rise. This can exacerbate extreme weather conditions, increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, and disrupt the natural balance.

Additionally, the plastics found in artificial turf can break down into microplastics, which can pollute water systems and cause damage to ecosystems and animals. Subsequently, this can lead to human health concerns. 

What's being done about the plans for Crocker Amazon park?

Concerned local residents are joining Hall in expressing their concerns to the Giants and the San Francisco Department of Recreation and Parks in hopes that they will revise their plan. So far, though, representatives have said that the plan to install artificial turf is moving forward.

Concerned local bird-watcher Lydia Bruno believes that the turf would cause irreparable damage to the ecology of the area. 

She told The San Francisco Standard, "Even if you're not a birder, you hear the birds. You feel them. Silence would change how this whole place feels."

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