The Wichita City Council has voted unanimously to approve matching funds that will be used to access state funding for health screening of residents who live in an area of groundwater contamination.

The city and county are looking to access $2.5 million in funding approved by the Kansas Legislature last year for the testing of people who live in a contamination area at 29th Street North and Grove.   Matching funds will have to be provided to access $1 million in funding, and the city and county will provide $125,000 each.   Private funding will be raised to cover the rest of the match.

Wichita, Sedgwick County and the Kansas Health Foundation are working on a program to provide immediate and long-term cancer screenings for residents in the contamination area.   The contamination is from a Union Pacific railyard, and it involves chemicals including Trichloroethylene (TCE), a solvent commonly used for metal degreasing, that have
contaminated the soil and groundwater, creating a contaminated plume of groundwater that extends approximately 2.9 miles south from the UP railyard to Murdock Avenue.

Former City Council member Lavonta Williams, who lives in the affected area, urged the Council to “look a little bit more into what we’re doing and what we’re allocating and how the community can help.”   She called attention to instances of infant mortality and low birth weights in the area and said it’s not known how many deaths can be attributed to the contamination.

City Manager Robert Layton said with public meetings that have been held over the last two years, the community voices have been heard and that’s why the city is at the point with the Legislature providing funding for the health testing.  He said the productive thing to do now is to move forward and determine how to address the issues brought forward by the community to make sure they have acceptable health outcomes.   Council Member Brandon Johnson said the voice of the community has been spurring action and this will be a small step forward.   He said there will be more engagement with the neighborhoods in the affected area and make sure they understand the plan going forward.  He said he believes the city is on the right path with a plan that addresses some immediate testing needs as well as long-term needs.

The city is providing its funding from remaining money left from the 2016 sale of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.   Sedgwick County Commissioners will consider an agreement Wednesday with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to access the funding that was provided by the Legislature.