Sedgwick County approves state-funded testing program after decades-old TCE plume draws public concern

Sedgwick County commissioners on Wednesday approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to receive state funding to support medical testing for residents exposed to historic solvent contamination near 20th and Grove.

The MOA would unlock $1,500,000 in state money immediately and make an additional $1,000,000 available on a dollar-for-dollar local match basis. The funds are intended primarily to support testing and related health services for people living in the KDHE-designated health study area tied to the trichloroethylene (TCE) plume, and may be used for other contamination sites in Sedgwick County if available and approved.

County Manager Tom Stoltz said the state has been overseeing remediation of soil and groundwater contamination at the former Union Pacific rail yard site since the 1990s, and that the MOA is meant to help residents access testing and clinical follow-up that has been piecemeal to date. “The goal is to utilize this one-time state money to create a comprehensive and responsible plan,” Stoltz said during the meeting.

The county counselor, Justin Wagner, described the timeframe and limits in the MOA: the state funds must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026, and any unspent funds returned to KDHE by Feb. 28, 2027. The MOA itself does not obligate the county to provide a local match; any dollar-for-dollar match for the additional $1,000,000 would be a separate discussion. Wagner said the MOA assigns Sedgwick County administrative responsibility for the state funds and establishes conditions for how subrecipients must use them.

Dr. Elizabeth Avila, professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita, told commissioners that testing and health-system capacity have been uneven and that the proposed funds would allow local health providers to build long-term capacity for screening and follow-up. “This type of funding will be instrumental in allowing the community to grow and to be able to care for our own residents,” Dr. Avila said.

Commissioner Jim Howell, whose district includes the 20th and Grove area, emphasized the human dimensions of the problem and urged the board to treat the MOA as an initial step. Howell and other commissioners noted the limits of the funding: it is one-time money focused on testing, not remediation or long-term treatment funding, and the MOA prioritizes the 20th and Grove health study area.

Several commissioners pressed for clarity about connections to city water and remediation work; counsel and staff said remediation by KDHE and Union Pacific is ongoing and separate from the MOA’s testing focus. County officials and the city of Wichita have discussed using the funds in coordination with local health providers, the Kansas Health Foundation and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) so testing can be offered at low or no cost to residents.

The board voted 5-0 to approve the MOA and authorize the county manager to sign the agreement.

Why it matters: County leaders and public health experts say many residents in the affected area lived for decades without clear, accessible testing and that a coordinated testing and clinical follow-up program could identify unmet health needs. Commissioners and public commenters repeatedly said the MOA is only a first step and that longer-term funding and remediation strategies will be necessary to address ongoing community concerns.

What’s next: Staff will work with KDHE, the Kansas Health Foundation and local health providers on how to distribute and administer the funds, develop spending procedures and pursue any available local match money. The county will also continue to track federal and state litigation and remediation activity related to the contamination.