9 Tons Of Lead In Waterlogged TN Gun Range Not Enough To Inspire Cleanup Money
When Sgt. Denny Elliott took over as the range master of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office gun range five years ago, there was a lot of work to be done.
Eleven of the range's 16 lanes were functional. A broken drainage system left standing water around the lead-packed range, creating a ripe breeding ground for mosquitoes and increasing the risk of water contamination. The veteran law enforcement officer has managed to have some of those problems addressed. But the sheriff's office is still awaiting funding for one issue at the range.
The backstop berm - the raised strip of land behind the targets that catches all the bullets fired - is packed with lead. The department has been asking Williamson County Commission for the funding needed to remove the lead since 2015. The funding has never been approved. With the funding the department has received, it has gone to pay for new positions and equipment to keep deputies safe - both of which have been a higher priority than addressing the lead.
"You're only given so much money, and that might not fit into the amount you're given by the commission," Sheriff Jeff Long said. Neither Long nor Elliott are aware of any previous professional lead removal from the gun range. That means bullets from the mid-1980s, when the range was created, are still likely embedded in the berm, raising concerns in the department about potential lead contamination to the environment over time.
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https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/2018/06/18/gun-range-williamson-county-sheriffs-office-needs-cleanup-but-lacks-funds/693992002/
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