Sedgwick County set to consider state MOU that would bring testing funds for 20th/29th Grove contamination

Sedgwick County commissioners on Wednesday will be asked to authorize a memorandum of understanding with the State of Kansas that would allow the county to receive $1.5 million in state funds for medical testing of residents who may have been exposed to contamination at the 20 Ninth and Grove plume site, county staff said during a Jan. 22 briefing.

The MOU would make $1.5 million available immediately and could unlock up to an additional $1.0 million from the state if local matching funds are provided on a dollar-for-dollar basis, county staff said. County leaders said the MOU itself is brief and that signing it is the single item being requested at Wednesday’s meeting to permit the program to move forward.

Commissioners said the proposal raises multiple implementation questions: who will administer the program, whether federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have the capacity to perform and follow up on testing, what happens to unused funds, and whether the county is committing to a…