Bates College students study, socialize and relax on the artificial turf at Garcelon Field at the Lewiston campus in April 2024. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

There is a price to be paid whenever Ben Grassi plays soccer on synthetic turf.

The senior Mount View High School defender told state lawmakers Wednesday that his knees and hips ache from trying to start, stop and jump on the slippery, pebble-topped surfaces at rival schools. And because the rubber absorbs heat, turf fields leave him more tired and dehydrated than grass.

The varsity co-captain says synthetic turf slide burns are more painful and heal slower than grass burns.

“As you consider state policy around artificial turf, it is my hope that you prioritize the health and success of Maine student-athletes, rather than any perceived benefits regarding ease of maintenance and cost savings,” Grassi said during a legislative committee hearing on a proposed artificial turf moratorium.

The proposed legislation, LD 1177, would pause the installation of new synthetic turf statewide for three years while the Maine Department of Environmental Protection completes a study of its environmental and health impacts. Existing fields could remain in use but could not be patched or replaced.

Artificial turf has been a topic of heated debate for years, in Maine and across the country.

Critics highlight the environmental and health risks. Synthetic turf contributes to microplastic pollution and often contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals like lead and mercury that can leach into the soil and groundwater. It can become dangerously hot in the summer, posing risks to athletes.

Supporters like its durability, low maintenance and year-round usability. Synthetic turf doesn’t require watering or mowing, making it attractive to communities looking to save on upkeep costs. It provides a consistent playing surface in adverse weather conditions, like those in Maine.

Biddeford Athletic Director Dennis Walton led the charge in defense of synthetic turf during Wednesday’s three-hour public hearing. He said synthetic turf had some environmental benefits over grass fields that critics didn’t want to admit, like not needing pesticides and using less water.

His biggest complaint was about the bill’s top-down approach to making community decisions.

“This legislation undermines the principle of local control that should govern these important decisions,” Walton said. “If the goal is truly to gather information, why not conduct the study without restricting local control in the meantime?”

His concerns were echoed by the athletic directors from Lewiston and Sanford high schools, as well the University of Maine — which highlighted student-athlete support for playing on synthetic turf — and a trade group of independent high schools and colleges that include Colby, Bates and Bowdoin.

Seven years ago, Lewiston decided to switch to turf because it could no longer maintain its grass fields year-round, said Athletic Director Jason Fuller. Before turf, Lewiston had to kick kids off the fields over the summer. Now, with two turf fields and two grass fields, no one prefers to play on the grass, he said.

If a moratorium is enacted, Lewiston wouldn’t be able to make needed repairs to its artificial turf field.

“If this moratorium goes into place, we are at a crossroads,” Fuller said. “We are within a year or two of doing a project resurfacing our grass fields. I’m left with two grass fields, my kids have no place to play, and I have no answers. … This should be a study without a moratorium.”

The Mills administration didn’t take a position on the bill, which was introduced by Assistant House Majority Leader Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach. Gramlich said the bill was a natural extension of her legislative efforts to keep children safe from toxic chemicals.

“I believe that this bill is a critical step towards safeguarding the health and well-being of our children, our communities and our environment,” Gramlich said. “Just because something is more convenient doesn’t mean that it is better four our health or our environment of our communities.”

Synthetic turf can contain crumb rubber infill made from recycled tires that can release toxic chemicals such as benzene, which can cause blood disorders, and phthalates, which can interfere with the endocrine system, Gramlich said. These substances can pose risks through skin contact or if inhaled or ingested.

Artificial turf can become significantly hotter than natural grass, said Cathy Breen, a lobbyist for Maine Conservation Voters. She pointed to a study that found the surface temperature on a synthetic turf field was 58 degrees higher than on natural grass, thus increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses.

The breakdown of synthetic turf also contributes to microplastic pollution, which can contaminate soil and waterways, Gramlich said. Over time, chemicals in the artificial turf, including those harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as forever chemicals, can potentially leach into the groundwater.

Synthetic turf fields have a limited lifespan — typically eight to 10 years — and can end up posing significant disposal problems, bill supporters told lawmakers. The leftover turf must be sent to a landfill or incinerated, both of which have environmental drawbacks.

DEP Commissioner Melanie Loyzim said it was logical to question the use of synthetic turf — she herself was always finding bits of rubber crumbs in her daughter’s athletic shoes and uniform — but warned that her department would need additional funding to conduct such a study.

Loyzim said California’s environmental health department had recently released a draft report of a 15-year study that found the crumb rubber infill used in many kinds of synthetic turf posed no significant health risks to athletes or coaches. That study did not examine the risks linked to the synthetic grass blades.

The number of Maine schools with artificial turf has more than doubled in the last decade.

There are 35 middle and high schools with artificial turf fields, plus another 20 or so at Maine colleges, said Mike Burnham, executive director of the Maine Principals’ Association.

Many of those projects have met with local resistance from groups worried about environmental damages. But new artificial turf fields have replaced natural grass fields at several high schools in the last five years, including at Kennebunk, Messalonskee in Oakland, Cony in Augusta and Gardiner.

South Portland will ask voters to choose whether they want to improve the school’s athletic complex with a $4.3 million natural grass option, a $5.1 million artificial turf option or no improvements. Kittery, Cumberland and the Gray-New Gloucester district have all grappled with the issue over the last year.