SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego has agreed to pay $700,000 in fines to the County's Air Pollution Control District for environmental violations at the police gun range in South San Diego.
According to an October 24 settlement agreement, the city owned up to failing to install and operate "outdoor bullet traps" at the police range on Federal Boulevard. Neglecting to do so resulted in lead vapor and dust from the spent casing seeping into the soil and air, potentially impacting local neighborhoods.
Medical experts say exposure to toxins can lead to several health problems, from nausea and fatigue to organ damage, and mental impairment among other more severe health issues.
According to the terms of the agreement, the city will use $500,000 of the settlement to pay for an environmental review for a new "micro-mobility" project in the Mount Hope area.
The remaining $200,000 will go to pay off the fines from the Air Pollution Control District.
The newly executed payout is in addition to the nearly $200,000 the city paid to mitigate the environmental impacts of lead particles getting released into the air.
It is also unclear how much, if any, taxpayer money was used to pay for workers' compensation claims from the seven employees who work at the range.
City Council announced the settlement agreement during its October 29 hearing.
