CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. – The East Bay Regional Park District voted Tuesday to close the Chabot Gun Club amid concerns that taxpayers will be stuck having to pay millions of dollars to clean up pollution from spent bullets.
The Oakland Tribune reported the unanimous vote came after more than five hours of comments in a room packed with nearly 500 people.
The club's owner will have 1 year to close down.
Neighbors and environmentalists have criticized the club as a toxic headache, while supporters say the range is a place to learn about gun safety and practice marksmanship.
Lead from bullets is leaching into groundwater and creeks that flow into Lake Chabot, which is supposed to provide a backup drinking-water supply for the East Bay Municipal Utility District. A Park district spokeswoman said no trace of lead has been found in the lake.
The news of Chabot's closure comes just four months after San Francisco's last gun shop was shuttered in the face of proposed city regulations.
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