What about the vernal pools? Aquatic life? Were there really intersex fish?
There is a certified vernal pool located in the area of North Pond at Loker. The project could mitigate the effect of building a field by cleaning up old debris that has remained after Dow Chemical vacated and also enhance the trail system to distance other threats to the vernal pools.
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Vernal pools are unique but temporary wildlife habitats best known for the amphibians and invertebrate animals that use them to breed. Vernal pools by definition dry completely by the middle or end of summer each year, or at least every few years. Occasional drying prevents fish from establishing permanent populations, which is critical to the reproductive success of many amphibian and invertebrate species that rely on breeding habitats free of fish predators. The ponds at Loker are not known to dry out completely, and therefore were not initially believed to be vernal pools. Vernal pools are very common in Massachusetts as shown on the map below. 
In 2020, the area near the North Pond became a "Certified Vernal Pool". That area would be protected in the same way as wetlands are protected. While the area does not meet the biological and physical criteria of a vernal pool, it become certified because it was acting as a vernal pool by supporting certain wildlife. The Conservation Commission could issue permitting conditions to further protect the area.
A state expert has recommended that the Conservation Commission make efforts to stop casual and commercial dog-walkers from using the trails that abut the ponds on the conservation parcel, as dogs are the biggest threat to the creatures that might be in vernal pools. The state expert also suggested Conservation re-route a leg of the trail around the North Pond. Overall, the project will improve the habitat in and around the wetlands by removing old asphalt and fencing abandoned by Dow Chemical and by planting additional vegetation to protect the vernal pool wildlife.
While intersex fish have been found in the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers, they are unlikely to be a concern linked to a field at Loker.
Three male largemouth bass (LMB) collected from the Sudbury River were found to have intersex characteristics. Intersex LMB were found not only in the Sudbury River but also in the Assabet and Concord Rivers. The locations that intersex LMB were collected are not directly down-gradient of synthetic turf fields. The intersex LMB in the Sudbury River were collected near a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). The literature reviewed on this topic indicate that researchers believe that the intersex LMB are related to endocrine disruptors, including estrogens excreted by women that use birth control, that are within effluent communities along the rivers. (Beede, 2014; Beede and Field-Juma, 2014)
There has been some concern about the plasticizers that might be released from the field causing intersex fish characteristics. The Town's consultant concluded, from both the literature and its own independent investigation, that the concentrations of plasticizers that might be released from the fields is infinitesimally small, especially when compared to other possible sources of endocrine disruptors to the Sudbury River. The amount of “endocrine disruptors” that discharge from a WWTP would dwarf any load of plasticizers coming from the fields.
The Town would require that the turf carpet be manufactured with materials that do not include of PFAS.
The Town received confirmation that the turf carpet recently installed at Wayland High School was manufactured without use of PFAS. The Town will also specify virgin or (non-recycled) EPDM rubber, meaning it is made from known components that can be modified to enhance the product and avoid specific chemicals.The publication of a recent study, reported in local news articles, addressed potential health concerns regarding PFAS, man-made chemicals that do not degrade easily, in synthetic turf blades/fibers. Studies show, however, that only a small amount of PFAS can be absorbed through the skin, and that 98% of Americans have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood. Current EPA and DEP standards for PFAS pertain to drinking water and not athletic fields.
Fore more information, see the FAQ on materials used in the project.
