1. No Lead pollution.

Outdoor shooting ranges produce damaging environmental lead pollution. Lead is extremely damaging to human health - especially children - and to the environment. The World Health Organization states there is no safe level of lead. Many shooting ranges are subject to lead management plans, but Redmond has failed to require one so far.

On January 17th, 2025, Washington Ecology listed the Interlake Sporting Association area as a contaminated site under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) which will require future cleanup. Samples taken by a community member just outside the perimeter of ISA’s property, adjacent to Gun Club Creek, show sediment concentrations as high as 1900ppm. This is over 7 times greater than the Department of Ecology's cleanup threshold of 250ppm.

Tell the council and the mayor: ISA must pause all operations until a full investigation of lead pollution in soil and groundwater on and near ISA’s property is completed and there is a plan to prevent further lead contamination.

2. Reasonable Operating Hours.

Per the city code, ISA is allowed to operate between 7am to 10pm on weekdays and 9am to 10pm on weekends, 365 days a year. Since gunshots can be heard miles away, hundreds of households and thousands of community members are affected by the noise pollution. Multiple parks, schools, and playgrounds are within earshot of the gun range.

Redmond city’s code has reasonable hour restrictions on other nuisance noise such as construction noise, which can only occur between 7am to 7pm M-F, 9am to 6pm on Saturday, and may not occur Sundays or Holidays.

Tell the council and the mayor: ISA’s operating hours must be limited to noon to 6pm on M-F and be closed on holidays.

3. Reasonable Noise Limits.

Gunshots can be up to 170 decibels. This is about as loud as a jet engine taking off. For comparison, a jackhammer produces around 110 to 130 decibels, a gas leaf blower produces around 80-90 decibels, and fireworks produce around 170 decibels.

In the Redmond City Code, sounds generally must be limited to 55 dBA noise level between 7:01 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. or 45 dBA noise level between 10:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. However, shooting ranges currently have a special exception that do not place any limits on dBA noise level.

When ISA was founded, this was a fairly rural area. However, it’s now a dense residential area zoned for up to 8 units in each lot. ISA frequently cites that they existed before the neighborhoods. However, as the complaint alleges, since the neighborhoods were built the gun range has add metal targets, expanded their hours, and increased shooting volume. The complaint goes on to detail that ISA has also expanded with two new ranges less than 40 yards from existing houses without first applying for city approval via license amendments. The city should require ISA to revert their expansions and to use all available noise dampening technology including soundproofing and noise absorption fencing around ranges, limiting what guns can be shot, only using guns with silencers, etc.

Tell the council and the mayor: ISA must revert their expansions and to comply at all times with Redmond’s general noise ordinance rather than enjoy a special shooting range exception that negatively impacts the community. No more special treatment for ISA!