BALTIMORE — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined the Baltimore County Police Department nearly $16,000 for alleged federal hazardous waste violations at an outdoor gun range in Timonium.
According to the EPA, the department improperly managed and incorrectly disposed of lead contaminated soil at their firing facility.
The EPA says the soil at the range is hazardous waste due to higher lead concentrations from bullets. Because of that, the EPA apparently considers the range a hazardous waste management facility.
They further accuse the department of not having the proper permit to operate such a facility, citing them as result.
Other reported violations, include the department's failure to provide its staff with proper waste management training.
The EPA claims hazardous waste responsibilities were not even in the written job descriptions of range staff members, which they say is another violation.
All of the alleged findings are said to be in violation of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, per the EPA.
Exposure to high levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially to children six-years-old and younger.
We reached out to Baltimore County for comment, and here's their response:
The County remains committed to working with federal partners to ensure all procedures for waste disposal are fully-followed to protect human safety and environmental health. Following this recordkeeping issue, the County has entered into an agreement with the EPA focused on ensuring future compliance. Moving forward, the County will continue to ensure all recordkeeping and other federal safety protocols are appropriately followed.
