County Officials Were Warned About Contamination At Gun Range, Report Says

MAHWAH, NJ — Emails from the former rangemaster at the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute to county officials told them about a lead-contaminated pile of sand about two months before officials announced the presence of the materials at the site, according to a report by NorthJersey.com.

Frank Carrafiello reportedly told county officials about the pile at the Mary Ann Collura Memorial Pistol Range as early as February according to emails obtained by the website. He mentioned the lead pile to the facility's director Richard Blohm Feb. 23.

Carrafiello reportedly called the state Department of Environmental Protection and reported the pile of sand, the report said. The pile contained 280 times the amount of lead than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers acceptable.

RELATED: Toxic Materials, Lead, Possibly Seeping Into Ramapo River, Officials Say

Township Council President Robert Hermansen said he was notified by an anonymous source in April.

Jeff Tittel, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club, said at a press conference held days after Hermansen was notified, said that lead and other contaminants may be seeping into the groundwater and into the Ramapo River, nearby streams and the Ramapo Aquifer, which provides drinking water to thousands of people.

The EPA and DEP were investigating the extent of the contamination.

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Photo: A sign outside of the gun range at the Mary Ann Collura Memorial Pistol Range at the Law and Public Safety Training Center.