Zero Waste Ithaca, a grassroots environmental group, has filed a lawsuit against Cornell University and the City of Ithaca for alleged violations of the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. The lawsuit challenges the approval of synthetic turf fields, citing serious public health and environmental risks, including microplastic pollution and exposure to carcinogenic chemicals.
“Synthetic turf is like an invasive species, spreading relentlessly and causing harm,” said a ZWI representative. “Cornell’s continued investment in these fields, despite overwhelming evidence of their harms to human health and the environment, is a betrayal of their responsibility to students, athletes, and the community.”
Legal challenge targets SEQR process
The lawsuit, developed in collaboration with the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic (PELC) at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, challenges the Ithaca Planning Board’s decision to issue a Negative Declaration for the project, arguing that it ignored substantial evidence and failed to meet SEQR’s requirements for transparency and accountability.
ZWI has also publicly raised concerns about Cornell’s deep ties to fossil fuel funding and chemical recycling research with pending patent applications, which further call into question the university’s environmental commitments.
This legal challenge is led by a team of dedicated law interns from PELC, who are standing up to Cornell’s powerful in-house legal team in a fight for environmental justice and public health.
“Our client, Zero Waste Ithaca, has consistently raised valid concerns about the environmental risks of this project,” said Gabriela Martinez, J.D. Candidate 2025 at Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “It is clear that the Planning Board overlooked substantial evidence, undermining the transparency and accountability SEQR is designed to ensure.”
Scientific evidence highlights urgency
Recent studies have identified synthetic turf as a major source of microplastic pollution.
A 2024 Toronto study and a European Union report confirm that synthetic turf is the top contributor, with one study estimating that it accounts for 15 percent of microplastics in Barcelona. Notably, the Barcelona study only accounts for visible pieces of microplastics, not the invisible nanoparticles, which are even more pervasive and harmful.
A groundbreaking study published in Nature Medicine on February 3, 2025, reveals that microplastics are crossing the blood-brain barrier, raising alarms about their impact on human health.
Researchers found 50 percent more microplastics in brains analyzed in 2024 compared to 2016, a trend that aligns with the global increase in plastic production and use.
Dementia patients showed three to five times higher levels of microplastics, underscoring the potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure.
Cornell’s dismissive response
Cornell’s legal response focuses heavily on technicalities, particularly ZWI’s standing under Article 78 of New York State law.
The university’s 30-page response dedicates only three to four pages to directly addressing scientific concerns, relying on unsubstantiated literature reviews and a questionable letter from Dr. Frank Rossi, a researcher with ties to the fossil fuel industry.
By prioritizing procedural arguments over substantive science, Cornell’s legal team attempts to sidestep legitimate environmental concerns, arguing that only direct users of the fields—not the broader community impacted by microplastic pollution—have legal standing.
“Cornell’s refusal to engage with science is alarming,” said a ZWI representative. “Environmental harm doesn’t stop at property lines, yet the law is stuck in a framework that favors developers over impacted communities. Cornell University and the City of Ithaca must recognize the broader consequences of microplastic pollution before it’s too late.”
A call for accountability
ZWI urges Cornell University and the City of Ithaca to consider the global environmental justice impacts of fossil fuel-derived plastic turf, from extraction, production to disposal.
“Allowing a reputable Ivy League university to endorse synthetic turf over natural grass sets a dangerous precedent,” said a ZWI spokesperson. “Cornell’s decision will have ripple effects across municipal parks, public schools, and other universities, normalizing the replacement of real grass fields with plastic. Athletic culture must adapt—traditionally outdoor sports should not be forced into year-round play on fossil fuel-derived plastic fields at the expense of public health and the environment.”
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