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Seven Sunshine Coast school fields closed after glass, ceramic, plastic shards found

School district said pieces were mixed into the topsoil
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Jason Haines collected glass, ceramic and plastic shards off Sunshine Coast school fields. (Jason Haines/Twitter)

The Sunshine Coast school district is warning parents and kids to stay off seven school fields after plastic, glass and ceramic shards were found there.

In the warning issued Tuesday, the school district said that the topsoil added to the fields at Madeira Park, Halfmoon Bay, West Sechelt, the Sechelt Learning Centre, Davis Bay, Roberts Creek and Elphinstone schools was “contaminated with shredded plastic and even some glass and ceramic materials.”

Jason Haines, a local golf superintendent, posted pictures of the debris on social media.

“I’m no expert but maybe topdressing the school field with material filled with sharp hard plastic and plastic bags was a bad idea,” Haines said.

“I counted 12 pieces of garbage in one square foot. At 64,000 sq. ft that puts the amount of garbage at 777,600. This isn’t safe for kids to play on or for the surrounding environment when the plastic blows away.”

The school district said that the topsoil was added as part of standard summer maintenance, and that it would be addressing the issue.

“In the meantime, we ask that all students and community members not play or allow their pets on the affected fields,” the district said.