Source: Sacramento Bee [follow link for complete article]
Shuttered gun range in south Sacramento park leaked toxic lead dust
A note taped to a side door of the James G. Mangan Rifle and Pistol Range in south Sacramento tells only a small part of the story.
The city-owned gun range in Mangan Park, on 34th Avenue near Freeport Boulevard, shut down more than 15 months ago, and a “temporarily closed” note on the door is the only notice neighboring residents and park users received.
The city closed the indoor range because it was polluted by hazardous levels of lead dust after decades of operation. But it has never cleaned that toxic dust from the interior of the shuttered range, nor from the roof, according to interviews and internal city documents. Environmental scientists specializing in lead contamination say the tainted particles that remained should have been cleaned long ago, and may pose an environmental hazard for park users and residents in the surrounding neighborhood.
The scientists interviewed by The Sacramento Bee said soil in the surrounding park and neighborhood should have been tested at the time the facility closed, to see if the toxic particles had spread through wind and rain. The city failed to do any soil testing until April 1, after The Bee began asking questions for this story...
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