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Preventing soil contamination at an outdoor shooting range

This information is provided by:Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVONetherlands Enterprise Agency, RVONederlandse versie

Do you own or run an outdoor shooting range? You must prevent soil contamination.

Soil protection

At the end of the shooting range, you have an area with sand in which the bullets will fall. You need to take a protective measure to make sure sand in this shot fall area that is contaminated with metals from bullets cannot reach the soil. You can for instance use a dividing layer of sand in a different composition or of a different colour. You do not need to install an impermeable floor or pave its surface.

If the shot fall area is roofed, you do not need to take protective measures. In that case the metals should not be able to reach the soil (for instance with rain).

Preventing lead contamination

It is forbidden to shoot with lead shot at clay pigeon shooting ranges and at these ranges you do not need to use protective measures. However, at some ranges lead shot is still allowed. If you are allowed to use lead shot, you must take custom measures to prevent lead contamination. As lead contamination covers large areas, these areas need to be protected. You can for instance use netting to catch the shot in flight to minimise contamination. Or you must use protective measures to protect the soil over a large area.

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