Despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s endorsement of using bits of rubber tire to cushion children’s playgrounds, the agency is now concerned that it doesn’t have enough data about the potential health risks of the chemicals in the rubber material, according to the Associated Press . There’s no current evidence that they cause health problems. But, in an internal memo sent in January and obtained by the AP, EPA Assistant Regional Administrator Stephen Tuber wrote, “It appears that there are valid reasons to take a broader perspective of all potential

risks associated with crumb rubber” through a study. The EPA said it hasn’t come to any new conclusions yet. “From everything I’ve been able to see, I’m not sure there’s an imminent hazard but it’s something we’re investigating,” Michael Firestone, EPA’s head of children’s health protection, told the AP. “It’s critical to take a look at all the data together.” Results from the EPA’s study are expected within weeks, the AP said. Photo: iStockphoto

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EPA Reviews Safety of Recycled Tires in Playgrounds