Testing Engineers & Consultants, Inc. (TEC) was selected as a finalist for the Environmental Achievement Award by the Environmental Management Association last week at the EMA awards dinner. The project that earned recognition was the City of Troy Police Department (Troy PD) Indoor Gun Range — Lead Cleanup Project.
The Troy Police Department serves a population of approximately 83,000 with 136 sworn officers and 66 civilian personnel. To protect their own, the Troy PD engaged Testing Engineers and Consultants, Inc. (TEC), to investigate potential lead exposure to officers using their indoor gun range at the City Municipal Complex.
TEC’s investigation determined that while the officers were not being over-exposed when using the gun range, inefficiencies in the range air handling system resulted in lead dust migrating through breaches in the range walls and ceiling and settling in other areas of the building. Furthermore, an extensive amount of bulk lead was found in the bullet trap of the range.
Although there was no regulatory standard identifying acceptable lead levels for this type of facility, TEC designed remedial specifications using the stringent EPA lead standard 40 CFR, Part 745 (for residential dwellings) as a target for the cleanup. The result was the remediation of three tons of bulk lead from the range bullet trap and settled lead dust throughout the area.
In order to maintain the acceptable levels once remediation was completed, a long-term range control/management plan was designed and implemented by TEC to address the aforementioned concerns. The enforcement of a lead-free (frangible) ammunition policy while using the range, along with periodic air quality control analysis by TEC ensures adherence to the EPA target.
Given the complexity of identifying widespread lead contamination and the absence of an applicable regulatory standard, TEC’s ingenuity, plus facility engineering and environmental know how, culminated in improved indoor air quality for Troy’s finest. The successful collaboration between Troy PD and TEC, makes this case study a remedial blueprint for other law enforcement agencies, municipalities and engineering consultants in tackling future challenges of gun range lead exposure.
With offices in Troy, Ann Arbor and Detroit, TEC provides professional engineering consulting services in the environmental, geotechnical, building and infrastructure engineering, and construction materials testing and inspection fields.