City Holds Hearing On Synthetic Turf

It came in response to councilman Eric Gioia's bill calling for a temporary halt to building any new turf fields in the city.

Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem has been closed since December, after a test of the turf revealed elevated lead levels. It is now being fixed, but the findings prompted the city to test all artificial turf fields.

"The source of the lead contamination at the Thomas Jefferson Park field is not known, but it is most likely due to external contamination. Lead is a persistent environmental pollution from its former use in gasoline, paint and other products," said Nancy Clark, New York City Health Department.