Get the Lead Out - Possible soil contamination on firing and shooting ranges

Firing ranges and commercial shooting ranges are facing possible legal action for allowing the accumulated lead from bullets to seep into the ground water. Studies are showing that more municipalities are investigating

the possibility of lead getting into the communities’ potable water supply from shooting ranges. Government regulations are changing to state that no levels of lead are safe in the human body. Since lead poisoning has been determined to be the cause of severe mental retardation and a variety of other health conditions, any possible source of water and soil lead contamination is being looked at.

OMH Innovations manufactures a series of portable soil screeners to take care of this problem. Soil from the firing range can be fed into the soil screening unit by a skidsteer or front-loader. The 2-product screener (PVG 96 and PVG 120) easily separates out the bullets and lead fragments from the soil. The 3-product screener (PVG-C 96 and PVG –C 120) goes one step further by separating out rocks and larger material from the soil and the bullets.

Disposal of the spent ammunition can then be done properly. By doing this process routinely, owners of shooting and firing ranges may be spared hefty fines and fees for ground and water lead contamination in the future. They also will be part of the solution instead of the part of the problem.