EPA to check lead level in river

BENSALEM The Environmental Protection Agency plans to test for high levels of lead at an outdoor gun range along the Delaware River in Bensalem.

David Sternberg, an EPA spokesman, said the agency was required by statute to conduct a preliminary assessment of the Philadelphia Gun Club after a "citizen petition."

The petition was filed by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, a nonprofit that seeks to protect the watershed. The organization said it conducted tests earlier this year that revealed high levels of lead in samples taken from sediment on the banks of the river along the club's property. The club has been in operation for more than 100 years.

The group previously sued the club over allegations that its pigeon shoots caused lead contamination in the river. A settlement was reached, which included the gun club making a $15,000 payment to the riverkeeper network. But the shootings were allowed to continue.

If the EPA finds the site poses a threat to human health, it will conduct a more thorough inspection. - Ben Finley