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Speeches
April 22, 2009
Testimony from Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum for City Council Hearing on Overheated Mats in City Playgrounds
Thank you, Councilmember Foster and members of the Committee on Parks & Recreation for holding this important hearing. And thank you, Council Members de Blasio, Lappin, Barron, Brewer, Gerson, Gonzales, James, White Jr., and Mark-Viverito for joining me in introducing this important and timely legislation, Int 896-A.
According to reports published over the last several years, young children have suffered severe burn injuries on the black rubber surfaces installed in city playgrounds. One such report quotes hospital physicians who treat more than a dozen children each year for burns from these mats. Apart from the immediate physical danger posed by overheated mats, which can rise to as much as 160 degrees on a hot day, they may also contribute to the urban heat island effect.
In July, 2008, I sent a letter to New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe requesting that the Parks Department ensure that city playgrounds post adequate signage in all appropriate languages to warn against walking or playing on the mats with bare feet. Although Commissioner Benepe has been quoted as saying that such signs were posted, my office has identified parks throughout the city without visible signs. I also urged the commissioner to treat the surfaces of black rubber mats to prevent burning, or to consider a safer alternative to all equipment in city playgrounds that can cause burn injuries to young children—including equipment with bare metal exposed to direct sunlight.
Since then, it appears that the Parks Department has been unwilling to systematically alter or replace these mats. With summer approaching and temperatures expected to rise, today’s legislation is the least we can do to warn parents and children explicitly of the dangers posed by these mats. With swift passage of this bill, and the timely posting of warning signs in city playgrounds, young children may be spared from severe burns in the coming months.
In addition to the danger posed by overheated mats, I have worked for two years to investigate the potential health risk of crumb-rubber infill made from recycled tires—the material used in certain types of synthetic turf. I have called for a moratorium on installation of these types of turf until the city institutes periodic testing over the life of each field, and a schedule for replacing the turf as it ages.
I will continue to fight for the highest standards of safety in New York City parks, both on the topic of today’s hearing, and on the issue of synthetic turf made from recycled tires.
The city has dragged its feet for too long, and I am pleased to see the City Council taking decisive action. Thank you.
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