Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) September 18, 2014 -- After years of shooting at the Ohio Department of Corrections Training Academy (CTA), firing range berms were saturated with lead, which increased the likelihood of “splashback” (rounds that ricochet off lead left behind in the berm and send metal fragments back at the shooter). The more bullets you shoot, the more likely the splashback, and the greater the potential for injury to officers. In August 2014, CTA implemented a firing range safety project to remove lead from the range environment.
Although the CTA was not obligated to conduct range lead abatement, they chose a proactive approach to improve officer safety and mitigate potential hazards associated with lead in range soils and berms. This approach incorporated the http://www..epa.gov/lead/best-management-practices-lead-outdoor-shooting-ranges [ US Environmental Protective Agency (USEPA) Best Management Practices (BMPs) __title__ USEPA Firing Range BMPs] for Lead at Outdoor Shooting Ranges. According to the US EPA BMPs, “the most important BMP for lead management is lead reclamation.” In addition to concerns for shooter safety, lead is a toxic material that can potentially leach into groundwater or be ingested by wildlife.
To implement firing range remediation and improvements for officer safety, CTA reached out to an experienced firm, MT2, LLC (MT2) of Colorado to conduct lead reclamation and range maintenance at the range. MT2 has been “Getting the Lead Out” since 2000; they have completed over 800 firing range projects nationwide and recovered over 11,000,000 lbs of lead. The tasks completed by MT2 in August 2014 included removal of spent lead bullets and bullet fragments to improve shooter safety and to protect the environment by preventing lead from leaving the range.
MT2’s firing range maintenance tasks included the use of its specialty lead recovery equipment and field technologies to successfully remove nearly 100,000 lbs (50 tons) of lead for recycling and restoring the range berms to meet recommended safety specifications. MT2 completed all tasks in less than two weeks, working with the CTA to provide minimal impact to the officer’s training schedule. Jerry R Juniper, CTA Safety & Health Coordinator commented “I am very satisfied in the quality of work performed by MT2’s experienced staff. They conducted their work in a very professional manner, meeting and exceeding CTA’s expectations. My recommendations for MT2 have been and will be expressed.”
About MT2: MT2 is recognized as the nation's #1 professional contractor providing environmental firing range services in all 50 states. MT2 has demonstrated unmatched credentials with over 14 years industry experience, and capabilities through performing over 800 indoor and outdoor range projects nationwide for a wide variety of clients including law enforcement, military, government agencies, and private clubs. MT2’s firing range services include complete range maintenance, improvements and remediation services such as lead reclamation, range design, construction, and lead impacted soil treatment. More information is available at http://www.mt2.com/firing-ranges/overview-of-services.
James Barthel, MT2, LLC, http://www.mt2.com, (303) 456-6977, [email protected]
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