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The Evidence Cannot Be Dismissed

I strongly support a pause in the placement of a crumb rubber field at the Guilford High School so that important health and safety questions regarding exposure of children and young adults to these types of fields can be answered. The divisive topic of crumb rubber fields has captured the attention of communities across the country as they look for cost-effective ways to provide low-maintenance fields to their residents. Anecdotal evidence of increased cancer rates in children who play sports on these types of fields compared to natural fields demands further investigation. To wit: Congress has asked the president, Environmental Protection Agency, and Consumer Product Safety Commission to look harder at the issue. Correlation does not imply causation, but the evidence cannot be dismissed until a cause is uncovered.

As a chemical engineer who specializes in polymers, I’m familiar with how tires are made and what carcinogenic chemicals are used to ensure adequate road-worthy performance—for cars, not kids. As a scientist who works in the field of medical devices used for lung cancer detection and diagnosis, I understand the causative links between carcinogen exposure, genetic mutations, and the staggering effect that cancer—childhood or otherwise—has on a family. As a member of the Guilford community and neighbor, I don’t want my community to be burdened with a potentially harmful place that gets abandoned or is a target for future litigation if/when these (potential) links are discovered. And as a father of a young child who loves to play soccer goalie, I do not want my family exposed to these fields or to have the crumb rubber tracked in to my home/car/life.

Remember, at one time cigarettes were thought to be safe and had doctors as spokesmen! Let’s not unnecessarily expose our children while it gets figured out.

Seth Gleiman

Horseshoe Road