10-07-2022 3:29pm

EPA Hits Loch Raven County Police

EPA Accuses Baltimore County Police Of Failing To Clean Hazardous Waste At Gun Range

The Baltimore County Police Department is being fined nearly $16,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency in Maryland for a gun range used by officers to train that allegedly failed to clean up hazardous waste.

The range, located adjacent to the Loch Raven Reservoir at 2001 Dulaney Valley Road, generated thousands more pounds of lead waste than it was authorized to on several occasions, and had inadequate training programs and emergency plans for employees handling the hazardous waste, according to the agency.

Officials announced a $15,800 penalty for soil at an outdoor firing range that is considered hazardous due to lead concentration from bullets fired at the location that has built up and could pose a potential hazard.

The announcement was made on Thursday, Oct. 6.

According to the EPA, the outdoor firing range is used by county police officers for the firing practice of handguns, which use bullets made of lead and a copper alloy.

The soil at the firing range is considered hazardous waste due to lead concentrations from bullets, and it must be handled and disposed of in accordance with EPA regulations, officials said.

Alleged violations include:

Operation of a hazardous waste management facility without a permit;
Failure to provide hazardous waste management training to staff;
Failure to provide hazardous waste responsibilities in written job descriptions;
Failure to have a hazardous waste contingency plan.

“Exposure to high levels of lead may cause serious health problems,” according to the EPA. “Lead is toxic and exposure to lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body.

 “Children six years old and younger are most susceptible to the effects of lead, but it can also be harmful to adults,” officials continued. “EPA efforts to reduce lead exposure have contributed to blood lead levels in US children steadily dropping over the past four decades, but lead exposure persists in communities throughout the country.”

The Baltimore County Police Department was cited for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste, which are designed to protect public health and the environment.