Drizzt
Member
Gun club fined for illegal lead dumping
By SARAH LEMON
Mail Tribune
CENTRAL POINT — A local gun club faces more than $17,000 in fines for illegally dumping about 17 tons of lead-contaminated debris on its East Vilas Road property.
The extent of contamination around Medford Rifle and Pistol Club remains unknown after the group removed sand piles containing bullet debris, said Jeff Bachman, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The club exhibited a "reckless lack of regard" for the threat to groundwater, wildlife and other environmental elements, DEQ officials said.
The two samples analyzed by DEQ indicated concentrations of lead at 1,240 parts per million and 33.8 parts per million. Waste containing five or more parts per million is considered toxic and hazardous, the agency reported.
"That's pretty hot waste," Bachman said, adding that DEQ had too little information Monday to assess the harm.
Inspectors, however, found no evidence of impact to groundwater, Bachman said.
The club intends to oppose the fine and won't pay the state until its appeals process has been exhausted, said President Jim Rice. But members will work with DEQ, he said, on any further cleanup around their facility at 1253 E. Vilas Rd.
Sand from bullet traps in the club's indoor shooting gallery was dumped on the ground behind the club in September, inspectors said. Club members removed large pieces of lead that could be recast as new bullets, but the remaining, small fragments contained hazardous levels of "leachable lead" that could harm the environment.
Club members were aware of the dangers of lead poisoning and had even posted articles to that effect, DEQ officials said. Yet when the club obtained a bid from an environmental consultant on proper disposal of the contaminated sand, members decided it was too expensive, DEQ officials said.
DEQ inspected the site in January. Nearly 17 cubic yards of waste were hauled away about two months later, Bachman said. The club removed a small amount of remaining sand and soil May 1 for disposal at Arlington Chemical Waste Facility, an approved site in northeastern Oregon, he added.
DEQ issued Medford Rifle and Pistol Club a $7,600 fine for failing to determine that the waste was hazardous. Another $10,000 was levied for illegal disposal "on the ground, exposed to the elements, humans and wildlife," DEQ officials said.
DEQ still is awaiting proper documentation on the clean-up, said Rai Peterson, natural resource specialist with DEQ's Medford office. Medford Rifle and Pistol Club likely will be entered into a state database of contaminated sites, Peterson said.
Oregon law requires individuals or businesses generating waste to determine if the waste is hazardous and to safely manage it. Proper disposal includes placing hazardous waste in appropriate containers that are clearly dated and labeled.
Lead can accumulate in the human body when ingested, causing brain and kidney damage. When released into the environment, lead can pose a long-term threat to humans and wildlife.
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0606/local/stories/fined-sl.htm
By SARAH LEMON
Mail Tribune
CENTRAL POINT — A local gun club faces more than $17,000 in fines for illegally dumping about 17 tons of lead-contaminated debris on its East Vilas Road property.
The extent of contamination around Medford Rifle and Pistol Club remains unknown after the group removed sand piles containing bullet debris, said Jeff Bachman, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The club exhibited a "reckless lack of regard" for the threat to groundwater, wildlife and other environmental elements, DEQ officials said.
The two samples analyzed by DEQ indicated concentrations of lead at 1,240 parts per million and 33.8 parts per million. Waste containing five or more parts per million is considered toxic and hazardous, the agency reported.
"That's pretty hot waste," Bachman said, adding that DEQ had too little information Monday to assess the harm.
Inspectors, however, found no evidence of impact to groundwater, Bachman said.
The club intends to oppose the fine and won't pay the state until its appeals process has been exhausted, said President Jim Rice. But members will work with DEQ, he said, on any further cleanup around their facility at 1253 E. Vilas Rd.
Sand from bullet traps in the club's indoor shooting gallery was dumped on the ground behind the club in September, inspectors said. Club members removed large pieces of lead that could be recast as new bullets, but the remaining, small fragments contained hazardous levels of "leachable lead" that could harm the environment.
Club members were aware of the dangers of lead poisoning and had even posted articles to that effect, DEQ officials said. Yet when the club obtained a bid from an environmental consultant on proper disposal of the contaminated sand, members decided it was too expensive, DEQ officials said.
DEQ inspected the site in January. Nearly 17 cubic yards of waste were hauled away about two months later, Bachman said. The club removed a small amount of remaining sand and soil May 1 for disposal at Arlington Chemical Waste Facility, an approved site in northeastern Oregon, he added.
DEQ issued Medford Rifle and Pistol Club a $7,600 fine for failing to determine that the waste was hazardous. Another $10,000 was levied for illegal disposal "on the ground, exposed to the elements, humans and wildlife," DEQ officials said.
DEQ still is awaiting proper documentation on the clean-up, said Rai Peterson, natural resource specialist with DEQ's Medford office. Medford Rifle and Pistol Club likely will be entered into a state database of contaminated sites, Peterson said.
Oregon law requires individuals or businesses generating waste to determine if the waste is hazardous and to safely manage it. Proper disposal includes placing hazardous waste in appropriate containers that are clearly dated and labeled.
Lead can accumulate in the human body when ingested, causing brain and kidney damage. When released into the environment, lead can pose a long-term threat to humans and wildlife.
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0606/local/stories/fined-sl.htm
