AstroTurf settles an environmental lawsuit with California over lead used to keep the artificial turf green.
Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times, August 15, 2009
The company that makes AstroTurf, a pioneering brand of artificial grass, has settled an environmental lawsuit with the state of California, agreeing to eliminate almost all lead from its product.
In the settlement, AstroTurf said it would pay $60,000 for testing of artificial playing fields at day care centers, schools and public facilities, the state said.
AstroTurf will also send warnings to California customers who bought artificial grass in the last five years and create a website to provide information on safe maintenance and testing procedures.
AstroTurf will pay $170,000 in civil penalties, grants, and attorney fees as part of the agreement with Attorney General Jerry Brown and two other plaintiffs, Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and Solano County District Attorney David W. Paulson. California decided to take action against the three companies after it received a legal notice from an advocacy group, Oakland-based Center for Environmental Health, that it intended to file a private lawsuit on the lead-warning issue.
Two other companies named in the lawsuit, Beaulieu Group of Dalton, Georgia, and FieldTurf USA Inc. of Calhoun, Georgia, have not settled but are in talks with the attorney general's office. Beaulieu said it has voluntarily reformulated its turf products.
Read the complete story here: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-astroturf-lead15-2009aug15,0,157632.story
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