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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 22, 2006 Gun club under fire after DEQ finds lead at range By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has required the Medford Rifle and Pistol Club to test soil for lead contamination after the club improperly disposed of dust swept off the floor and sand that catches bullets fired at targets. After receiving a complaint that the club had mismanaged lead-containing wastes, Rai Peterson, a Medford-based DEQ hazardous-waste compliance inspector, found sand and sweepings with visible lead Thursday on the ground outside the indoor range at 1253 E. Vilas Road. "It was just done out of ignorance," said Jim Rice, a retired Marine who has been a member of the club for about 30 years and recently became president. Rice said the club salvages large lead fragments from the sand-filled bullet traps behind the targets and members use them to cast new bullets. Small fragments have been left in the sand, which is periodically dumped out behind the range building. Rice said because the range is located next to a separate outdoor shotgun range and not near residential neighborhoods, members initially didn’t think the small amount of lead on the ground would be a problem. Advertisement "Lead is always a potential health risk," Peterson said. "Even a good system that does everything right still has a risk and this goes above that risk." Peterson said next week the club must test the areas where the lead-containing waste was dumped. Then, depending on the lead levels detected, the department’s hazardous-waste technical assistance team will work with club members to create a clean-up plan. They’ll also make sure members know how to deal with new waste appropriately. If the club fails to comply, it could face fines. "We want to see it cleaned up," Rice said. "There’s no reason to have lead on the ground." The nonprofit club wants to avoid penalties and maintain a safe range, he said. As a long-term solution, the club might look into a different type of bullet trap that drops bullets into water, he said. Rice said the 51-year-old club has worked to keep the indoor range safe, updating ventilation systems to capture potentially dangerous, airborne lead dust and cleaning regularly. He said the indoor range is safe and he doesn’t believe that the waste dumped outside poses a hazard to members. Peterson said the DEQ hasn’t fielded many complaints about shooting ranges in the Rogue Valley. It helped plan the clean-up of an Ashland range and occasionally answers questions about cleaning and maintenance at others, he said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail Gun club under fire after DEQ finds lead at range ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement