Stuart Z. Cohen, Ph.D.,
CGWP Invited presentation before the World Symposium on Lead in Ammunition, Rome, Italy, September 9, 2004.
Active shooting ranges are a land use that can be managed in an environmentally responsible manner as long as site-specific, scientifically sound Best Management Practices (BMPs) are used. In the U.S., there have been an increasing number of guidance documents and state initiatives, beginning ca. 1997, that adopt this approach. Lead and arsenic are the heavy metals of prime concern at shooting ranges. The principal factors that can limit the mobility of dissolved lead in soil are elevated pH, phosphate, iron content, and organic matter (OM) content, although high OM can enhance lead mobility at elevated pH. Unfortunately, under certain conditions, the mobility of dissolved arsenic can be enhanced at high pH and in the presence of phosphate, which indicates great care must be taken in selecting appropriate soil amendments. A variety of civil engineering BMPs has generated favorable efficiencies regarding mass removal and/or concentration reductions of lead and total suspended solids. Vegetation can play a key role in erosion control (controlling the loss of contaminated sediments) and plant uptake of heavy metals. Shooting directly into fertilized areas and sensitive water resources can lead to enhanced metal mobility and distribution.