Seminole County's new sports mega-complex is still a year away from being ready, but it could now be delayed after a commissioner raised health concerns about "crumb rubber," a material that substitutes for dirt in artificial turf fields.
Most athletes who play sports on turf fields come in contact with little black dots made up of ground tires. They often get trapped in your clothes and in your shoes, and are spread in the fake grass to absorb the impact.
But some say those rubber crumbs might also be linked to cancer.
"We realized that this was a potential health risk and a potential negative public relations move, and we don't know enough about it," said Lee Constantine, a Seminole County Commissioner.
Constantine urged developers to hold off on applying the turf at the new 102-acre sports complex because of those health risks on Thursday. The multi-million dollar project will include more than a dozen sports field, nine of which will have artificial turf.
"This is valuable information that we should have been given," said Constantine. "I think the stop staff, as well as the commissioners, will agree that not only weren't we given it, but if we did get it we might have made a different decision prior to making the choice of purchasing this product."
In Central Florida, the material is used on softball, baseball, and football fields at several different high schools and other sports complexes.
Even though there's no scientific proof "crumb rubber" causes cancer, Constantine says they should at least look at the alternatives.
"I want to get this right," he said. "My fellow county commissioners, the staff, and I, we all want to get it right. We hope this complex will be a facility that people will use not only in Central Florida, but throughout the United States."
Officials with the county will have several meetings in the coming weeks as they try and figure out which turf option is the best.
The complex is slated to open in May of 2016.