Psst! Outdoor firing range here! Just letting you know that I appreciate that you’ve set up that Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) to protect range participants, wildlife, and the environment from the serious hazards of lead. Now let’s look at outdoor firing range services. I want you to know that my wildlife and I are breathing easier since you:
This means I’ll all be around for generations to come! I heard some community members talking about me. They have been observing all of the measures that you took to achieve environmental compliance. Now they believe that you care about the safety of the environment; as well as the people in and around the range! Nice job! I’m sure they’ll keep watch, but they sounded very pleased that you are now environmentally compliant. That Health and Safety Plan (HASP) that you designed for me prevented additional damage to the environment and kept the hazards to people in check as you worked toward compliance. Your HASP will be a great guideline to maintain compliance on a daily, monthly, and annual basis. These are your Best Management Practices (BMP). FYI, your BMP includes an ESP and a HASP to satisfy requirements of the EPA, OSHA, NIOSH, CDC, not to mention state and local requirements and well…I know it’s a lot so thank you for maintaining my health and safety! Also, I have noticed that the agencies in charge of regulatory enforcement recommend hiring certified lead reclamation/environmental remediation experts. This may be the easiest and most reliable way to assure that you satisfy and even exceed all regulatory requirements. These certified contractors already have the expertise, experience, and equipment. And, weighted against punishments you could receive for environmental law violations; why wouldn’t you hire an expert? Did you know? Lead is a finite resource. That means there is only a certain amount of lead available. Recovering spent lead and sending it for reclamation and/or recycling can be a win-win for the environment and the range due to being able to recycle it for a fee! Once you’ve cleared the water and soil of lead contamination from historic lead that was left in the environment, it’s time to maintain compliance. Best Management Practices (BMP) for an outdoor firing range are sustained practices which best reduce the impact of lead hazards on people and on the environment. Did you know? The longer lead stays in the ground, the more likely it is to degrade and migrate to surrounding soil and into the water. Daily practices: Newly spent lead that is recovered promptly is considered scrap metal; and is exempt from Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) handling. Recycling/reclamation of the spent lead is an easy way to avoid a remediation issue and possibly benefit monetarily from ongoing clean-up. Human lead exposure from the outdoor firing range is often the result of poor hygiene practices. Requiring best hygiene practices every day at the range will protect shooters at the range and prevent toxic lead from traveling to their homes on contaminated clothing, hair, and skin.
Daily housekeeping may be required. Even outside, solid surfaces such as picnic tables can accumulate toxic lead. Just as with an indoor range, wet-mopping and HEPA filter vacuuming are the only approved lead clean-up methods. Another way to regulate employee lead contact is with administrative controls such as employee scheduling. Limiting exposure in highly concentrated areas can reduce individual exposure to lead. Additionally, you must continue to provide properly fitting and functioning Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Lead-contaminated HEPA filters (from both vacuums and PPE) and mop water are considered hazardous and require environmentally compliant disposal. Proper, legally required signage must be visible every day. Monthly exposure monitoring: Surprisingly, maintaining acceptable ambient air lead levels for outdoor firing ranges may require ventilation controls. Fixed external structures that inhibit airflow will necessitate ventilation controls. Environmental controls all routine maintenance. Proper monitoring and cleaning of ventilation systems, including filters, will assure lead-free air flow. The frequency depends on multiple factors. A new system may be tested monthly for the first few months to assure complete and adequate ventilation. The ventilation system must be tested any time something changes that can impact the amount of lead dust produced. After that, annual monitoring may suffice. Filter changes and vent cleanings are use-dependent; but are, at a minimum, required annually. Left unchanged; lead filters can expose personnel to additional lead exposure. Filters used in the control and cleaning of lead are considered hazardous waste and must be disposed of accordingly. Annual inspections: Along with annual blood-testing; water and soil analysis; personal space air testing; and personnel training, you should be prepared for workplace inspections by regulatory agencies. They may:
Since you are attending to every requirement; this inspection should be a lead-free breeze! Cleaning Backstops on Your Firing RangeThis step is vital as these structures provide the needed containment for bullets in outdoor ranges. Neglecting the backstops could encourage continued wear and increase the possibility for ricochet of the bullets from the build-up of lead shots. When removing the soil in earthen barriers and berms, the EPA recommends reclamation of the soil in contact with the lead. Cleaning Sand Traps on Your Firing RangeSand traps act similarly to backstops and berms. Cleaning them depends on the design, but cleaning involves sifting the sand to separate the sand from the pellets. After filtering, replace the sand back into the trap. Preventing Lead Runoff at Your Firing RangeWater is another potential source of lead poisoning from outdoor ranges, and it may affect aquatic life forms if no measures exist. Deposits on the soil may find their way into water sources when it rains as surface runoff. Engineering controls minimize flow, but greener solutions such as planting grass that reduces the migration of the lead deposits also works. Lead clean-up services should happen periodically because of the risk exposure to the users and workers in these areas. Enlisting the services of a professional goes a long way in achieving your goals. Factors to Consider when Hiring a Firing Range Contractor for Your Firing Range It is best to hire a professional because of the stringent standards and measures in place. Whether it is outdoor or indoor, the potential for lead poisoning in these ranges makes them a very critical place to work. These are some key factors to consider before you enlist the services of a contractor.
Critical validations you must demand from your contractor to protect you and your range:
Upon request, MT2 will immediately provide you with the above documentation. MT2 Firing Range Services is the #1 largest most cost-effective nationwide professional indoor & outdoor firing range lead reclamation & maintenance contractor providing the highest value for your recycled lead. Now in our 18th year in business, MT2 Firing Range Services is a recent Inc. 5,000 fastest growing company and is well-known industry wide for being the nation’s #1 largest professional provider of the full scale of outdoor/indoor firing range environmental/maintenance/construction services at over 2,000 ranges nationwide for Law Enforcement, Military and Commercial ranges in all 50 states. No one reclaims more lead or finishes a project faster than MT2!! www.MT2FiringRangeServices.com
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