The Oregon Military Department has closed all 12 of its indoor gun ranges at armories across the state over concerns about high levels of lead dust.
The closures came after preliminary testing at the Forest Grove and McMinnville armories found surface levels of lead beyond thresholds allowed by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
The Forest Grove armory was closed entirely, and the McMinnville armory was closed to public events and rentals, though military personnel continue to operate out of the building, said Capt. Stephen Bomar, OMD spokesman.
Indoor gun ranges were closed at additional armories in Salem, Baker City, Coos Bay, Ontario, Roseburg, Springfield, Pendleton, Bend, Portland and Ashland, though air and surface testing at those facilities were within permissible levels, Bomar said.
Bomar said testing of lead levels at OMD's indoor ranges was first conducted in 2012. Based on preliminary sampling in 2014, all 12 indoor ranges were closed for use in November, though Bomar said he did not know what the results were that prompted the closures.
So far, seven of the 12 armories with indoor ranges have been tested for lead, Bomar said. Of those, only Forest Grove and McMinnville showed troubling results.
Sampling was done at the Forest Grove armory on Jan. 9 of this year. The results, received on Jan. 12 according to Bomar, were "concerning enough to move people out of the armory," and prompted the closure of the entire building.
Lead is a naturally occurring metal that can be dangerous if inhaled or ingested at certain levels. Lead can cause serious health effects, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular and reproductive problems, and lower kidney function, according to OSHA.
Symptoms of lead poisoning in adults include headaches, weight loss, memory loss and fatigue. The problems are significantly worse for children, who can develop learning disorders, anemia and hearing problems from exposure.
In indoor shooting ranges, lead dust from spent bullets can accumulate in the air and on surfaces without proper cleaning and ventilation.
OSHA guidelines state that employees should not be exposed to airborne lead levels of more than 50 micrograms per cubic meter over an eight-hour period. Lead traces on surfaces in a workplace should not exceed 200 micrograms per square-foot.
The air quality tests "came back with flying colors" in Forest Grove, Bomar said, where the air level of lead was .001 microgram per cubic meter.
But the surface tests caused concern.
Bomar did not provide the specific levels of surface lead found in the most recent testing. But of about 500 samples of surface level testing done throughout the Forest Grove armory - not just in the indoor range - he said about half came back below OSHA action levels, and about half were beyond 200 micrograms per square foot.
The tests were deemed "inconclusive," Bomar said, because it was unclear why some areas came back with high lead results while others were within acceptable ranges.
For now, those who are normally stationed at the armory in Forest Grove have been moved to the Jackson Armory near the Portland International Guard Base. Gun range activities throughout Oregon are taking place at outdoor ranges.
"From a training standpoint, it's obviously inconvenient, but it's more important for our personnel to be safe," Bomar said.
Bomar said he anticipates final results by the end of the month. That additional testing will determine if additional cleaning, or air circulation design changes, would make the indoor ranges safe to reopen. It's also possible that they will have to remain closed permanently, he said.
Employees who worked in the affected armories were asked to get additional blood testing for lead levels.
"We asked the individuals that were in the armory to go ahead and visit their doctors and make sure it gets annotated," Bomar said. "As of my knowledge right now, nobody has come back with anything."
Employees who worked in the indoor ranges did not receive training on the dangers of lead, Bomar said.
"There's not a specific training as of yet on lead exposures," he said, adding that is now something OMD is looking at.
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