MACo Applauds Sponsor for Synthetic Turf Chain of Custody Amendments

On February 15, 2023, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 0299 – Environment – Synthetic Turf – Chain of Custody with amendments. MACo worked with bill sponsor Del. Mary Lehman on amendments clarifying certain definitions and recognizing certain difficulties in tracking turf infill.

This bill requires the State Department of the Environment to establish a uniform system to track the chain of custody of synthetic turf—from its production to its installation to its eventual disposal—on sports and playing fields in Maryland. Counties wholeheartedly support this effort to establish a statewide inventory of synthetic turf fields, and offer friendly amendments that would help ensure further clarity in the recordation process.

From the MACo Testimony:

Synthetic turf is a widely used product in the parks and recreation space meant to mimic grass fields. The turf is primarily used to cover spaces that experience a high volume of use and where natural grass may offer an unreasonable expense or be labor intensive to maintain. High volume usage of artificial fields can, overall, reduce the need for expensive and more rigorously maintained natural fields… Counties support the intent of HB 299 and believe that MACo’s friendly amendments will help ensure an unbroken chain of custody for artificial turf.