The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now requiring commercial gun ranges seeking contracts to help train federal air marshals and other officers to first prove the facilities are not tainted with lead.

The changes come after a Seattle Times investigation in April revealed indoor-gun ranges in Washington and elsewhere had exposed hundreds of air marshals and federal Bureau of Prisons employees to dangerous levels of the poisonous metal.

Two Seattle-area gun ranges each had outstanding violations for inadequate ventilation and lead-contaminated surfaces while benefiting from federal contracts. The two ranges also had repeatedly violated lead-safety regulations and ended up sickening their own workers.

Firing lead-based ammunition emits lead vapor and dust, causing shooters to be overexposed to the toxic metal if a range doesn’t have proper ventilation or adequate cleanup.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/tsa-now-requires-proof-gun-ranges-are-clean-for-air-marshals/