HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola Law Enforcement Training Complex on the HACC Harrisburg campus remains closed.
The doors have been locked for nearly three weeks, after elevated lead levels were found during a Sept. 6 lead monitoring test of the facility’s shooting range.
The Camp Hill Police Department is one of the local departments that use the range throughout the year for training.
“The ease and convenience of the indoor range, not having to worry about weather is so beneficial and readily available for all of us," said Chief Stephen Margeson of the Camp Hill Police Department.
As of Tuesday, HACC has provided lead testing guidance to 115 individuals, according to the school’s president.
HACC is paying for any student, instructor or client who wants it.
Chief Margeson tells FOX43 that none of his officers have opted to do so as of now.
“Most officers who would go for training a couple of times a year, I don’t think that poses the risk that the regular, ongoing users have," he explained.
For Camp Hill police and others, the bigger problem is not knowing when the range will reopen.
“If it’s going to be an extended period of time, we have to start looking for alternative sites where we can do firearms training," said Chief Margeson, "It’s a necessary requirement for us.”
As of Tuesday, HACC representatives say remediation continues, as they work with third-party vendors to thoroughly clean the building and complete more air testing.
It’s still not known at this point what exactly caused lead levels in the range to become elevated.
“We just hope the actions they’re taking to remediate it solve the problem soon," said Chief Margeson.
There is still no timeline for when the training complex will reopen.
HACC says all updates will be posted on its website.
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