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ATTACHMENT 7 of concern even though it identified 30 compounds found in tires, including known carcinogens and toxic substances such as arsenic, lead and cadmium. But in 2013, the EPA backed off that earlier statement. The agency said its 2009 study— often cited by industry groups to validate the safety of crumb rubber—was limited in scope and that no conclusions should be drawn by it. Now, the EPA is further distancing itself from the crumb rubber controversy. Laura Allen, spokeswoman for the EPA, said the agency is no longer affiliated with the Workgroup and has no current initiatives to reduce tires in landfills. "The agency ended staff participation in the independent Workgroup in May 2014, and closed out administrative participation at the end of the year," Allen wrote in an e- mail to The Chronicle. When asked if health concerns played a part in the EPA's decision to withdraw from the group, Allen said only, "There were various factors taken into consideration." More tests needed The agency also says more testing on crumb rubber is needed and that states and local agencies should be responsible for conducting that research. "The decision to use tire crumb remains a state and local decision," Allen said. "Our highest priority is protecting public health and the environment, and we will carefully review any new findings or information." Retired EPA environmental geologist Mark Schuknecht, who until May 2014 worked as a full-time coordinator for the Scrap Tire Workgroup, said he believes the agency's decision to disinvest in the group was due to budget cuts, not health concerns with the materials. Schuknecht said he's confident the use of scrap tires on playgrounds and sports fields is safe and that future studies would come back the same.