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 particular delivery model before sufficient data are available. Commissioner-level speakers urged more information on long-term care pathways, data about health effects and alternatives such as vouchers or investments in municipal water for affected households.

County staff and the chairman said the MOU is the first step to receiving and managing state funds. They described several related pieces: prior private fundraising by the Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) of about $400,000, of which roughly $35,000 was spent on testing over about six months; limited testing capacity among local FQHCs; and a multi-year community engagement effort that began after the plume was publicly discussed about two years ago.

Staff and commissioners said the county does not plan to have the local health department administer the program. Instead, the county expects to contract with a third party or work with nonprofit partners (Kansas Health Foundation was explicitly named in the briefing) to deploy testing, clinical follow-up and case management. County staff said the state’s proviso that created the funding has conditions and timing constraints that complicate program design and prompted requests for local match language that can include private funds.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on several points: whether previously raised private funds would qualify as a local match; whether an endowment or longer-term funding model could prevent a short-term “spend-it-or-return-it” outcome; and how testing fits with longer-term needs such as provision of safe municipal water for affected households. Staff acknowledged many questions remain and said they will bring more detail to the public briefing on Wednesday, including the proposed administration model and any deadlines or repayment requirements in the MOU.

The item is scheduled for a commission vote Wednesday. County staff described the immediate action as signature of the MOU to “move this forward,” but they repeatedly said detailed program design, contracting and distribution of funds would follow. Commissioners asked staff to provide additional data and to seek clarifications from the governor’s office and KDHE before committing to a specific delivery path.

Background: county and community leaders said the contamination at the 20 Ninth and Grove area was first widely discussed publicly in town halls starting about two years ago after state testing and remediation work identified a subsurface plume. County leaders said there are more than 200 active contamination sites in Sedgwick County; this MOU and the proviso apply to this identified plume and to funding to test and serve people who may have been exposed.

What’s next: The commission will be asked to sign the MOU at Wednesday’s meeting to accept the state funds and begin contract and program-work planning. Staff said they will provide additional briefings and requested information about match eligibility, program administration and timeline before significant fund deployment.