Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Gun Club Closed Because of Pollution From Spent Bullets "CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. – The East Bay Regional Park District voted Tuesday to close the Chabot Gun Club amid concerns that taxpayers will be stuck having to pay millions of dollars to clean up pollution from spent bullets. The Oakland Tribune reported the unanimous vote came after more than five hours of comments in a room packed with nearly 500 people. "The club's owner will have 1 year to close down. "Neighbors and environmentalists have criticized the club as a toxic headache, while supporters say the range is a place to learn about gun safety and practice marksmanship." This is bad. Very bad... and sets a precedent that could affect us all. Now... will "they" go after all current and past members of the club to pay for the so-called cleanup...? That thought is terrifying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Is the range on public park land? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Is the range on public park land? Yes, Chabot Park. Hubby and I used to shoot there every other month. It was a gorgeous setting. Sometimes we'd have to stop shooting until the deer down range moved on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 This is probably the nicest range I've ever seen... and is indeed picturesque. From all I've read, the lead finding it's way into Lake Chabot has never been an issue; the northern tip of the lake lies a mile or so southwest of the range... and although it does have a serious algae problem (no human or canine contact with the water permitted), lead leached from the gun club just doesn't happen. And any lead that MIGHT be detectable would undoubtedly be from over fifty years of lost fishing sinkers. Note: the lake was built in 1874, but not opened for sporting purposes 'til the mid-Sixties. This is a non-issue that has been successfully used as a major weapon by the anti-gunners, and is the latest in a series of attempts to close the range. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to shut it down because of "noise" (well separated by geography from homes) and it's being an "unsavory element." The b*stards have now found an effective cudgel. Supposed "cleanup" costs are estimated to be around $4 million; expect this estimate to balloon. Across the bay, San Francisco's Lake Merced trap range is expected to have a cleanup cost of $22 million... and it was only trap and skeet. I'm hoping there will be some sort of legal challenges... heck, just a few weeks ago the CGC submitted a 1,066 page operations plan that heavily addressed the lead issue. Aarrgghh....!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 They voted to close it down 1 year from now. It is on East Bay Regional Park property, and if they close it down they have to pay for clean-up, as it is their range, the Chabot Gun club just ran it for them. . It is pretty convoluted, but basically they decided to close it down 2 years ago, and were waiting to the current lease to expire. They have been withholding money from the range for 2 years, and them complained that they didn't keep things up to par. We used to shoot there when we lived down the hill in Castro valley, and as I recall they weren't any homes within at least a couple miles of the place, but apparently hikers and bikers have complained about the noise. One said the noise " reminded him of people killing kids and babies". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Lead issues in ranges is the new norm. It gives them a basis, in their minds, to close ranges. We have a similar issue at our range, next to a Salmon spawning steam. No evidence that there has been any harm, but the lead is in the berms and the water is in the stream. Oh my, DISASTER in the wings. Overfishing (netting) by the commercial interest and poor habitat management programs have caused 100 times more danger than lead in the water ways. But what care those that have the golden gavel. As long as the $$$$s keep rolling in, So What, Citizen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 FYI, "Do Lead Bullets Continue to be a Hazard After they Land," from Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041104005801.htm#.VtcxRn68r38.facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawnee McGrutt Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I did not think lead would present to much of a hazard in soils. (It occurs naturally in the earth) It is hazardous if you ingest it (spraying of fruit trees) or use it as a conduit for liquid (the water pipes in Flint, Michigan) I think they are making a big deal out of it, just to close the range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Bingo McGrutt. What about all of the lead bullets that are mined out of berms and same for shot gun shot on skeet and trap ranges? Now the idiots want to ban lead fishing sinkers from lakes because Loons digest the lead and it affects their liver. Ok, I guess I can see that for small sinkers but some of them are large and would choke horse, what about them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawnee McGrutt Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I still use lead sinkers, I can see loons, geese and other waterfowl getting lead in their systems, but I don't think it is solely fishing activities. How many sinkers are left on fish, only ones that are able to snap the line. Guess my point is, how much lead is really out in the environment, from other sources? There are groups around here that would like to ban sport fishing as well as all hunting. They use what ever means they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastmaster Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Not the anti-gunners but the various Environmental groups. They have the funding and expertise to pass new and more strict environmental regulation. Lead can be a toxic material, of which, must be disposed of properly. Injecting lead bullets into earth is not on the list of proper disposal nor is there economic means to monitor the site for contamination after XXX date. Environmental regulations is a broad brush that covers governmental, industrial, private , public and everything else. They probably say you can not have a shooting range, but in reality, you can not afford to keep it open. And you wonder why USA manufacturing, natural resource exploration and development businesses are vanishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace_of_Hearts Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 There are companies that will come in, mine the lead in the berms and restore the berms to NRA standards and PAY the range to do it. Properly managed ranges will no this periodically to earn extra income and get their berms restored in the process. Sounds like bad management and just plain ignorance to me. It is uncommon for these companies to be burdened with so much red tape on Government owned ranges that the process id uneconomical for them to do it. That is a problem on a Government owned range here. It has been open 5 years and the rear berms need to be redone. Several companies have offered to pay for the privileged of mining the berms but licensing requirements, bonding, EPA requirements, and Davis Bacon wage requirements make it impossible to comply at a profit. The lead will not migrate more than a foot into the soil. Any danger from lead comes from ingestion, and let's face it, there isn't much ingesting going on at a range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 Ace, that's a solution, and was addressed in the Gun Club's operations plan... which the park officials chose to ignore. The Club has a reputation of having been very well managed throughout it's history. But it's an unpopular sport, especially in the Bay Area. Across the Bay, the town of Pacifica had a decent range - rifles only. The Sharp Park Rifle Range was opened in 1952, but shut down in 1988 after someone allegedly found a "spent bullet" in their driveway several miles away. These people only need a reason; that reason's validity is inconsequential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYOBARD SASS #13025L Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Anti-gun turds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Most eloquently stated, Mayo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tascosa, SASS# 24838 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Seems like the good people in Calif. are losing the battle with the loons and quacks (Im not talking about water fowl). It seems like it may be time to move to a gun friendly state and live with us normal folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Spent bullets found in yards miles from the ranges is another common issue. We had a fellow bring in a complete round, bullet, case, primer an I suppose powder. Claimed he heard gun fire from the range and later found it in his yard, three miles away. He presented it to the club to see what they would do about it. They politely told him that he did not know what he was talking about and that he should go study up on how a firearm works. Nothing came of the allegations, but they keep chipping away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawnee McGrutt Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Badger, that is a good one. I love it, when they make themselves look foolish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Not only did he step in it, he tried to rub it off with his shirt sleeve. After the gun club told him to go pound sand, he presented his arguement to the Chief of Police, who laughed at him. Apparently he told the same story that he told us, never realizing how stupid he could get. Guess you just can't fix stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tascosa, SASS# 24838 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Spent bullets found in yards miles from the ranges is another common issue. We had a fellow bring in a complete round, bullet, case, primer an I suppose powder. Claimed he heard gun fire from the range and later found it in his yard, three miles away. He presented it to the club to see what they would do about it. They politely told him that he did not know what he was talking about and that he should go study up on how a firearm works. Nothing came of the allegations, but they keep chipping away. Really?? Are Americans THAT stupid??? I cant believe anyone including anti-gun quacks are THAT stupid. Oh Badger I believe you 100% but it boggles the mind that someone could be that stupid. AND they have drivers license and drive on the same roads we do. God help us! That explains how some people get elected to the white house. Scary isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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