Learn how to get free lead testing and protect your family from lead hazards
September 7, 2022
LENEXA, KAN. (SEPT. 7, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 will attend Washington County, Missouri’s 27th annual Health Fair on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 7:30 a.m. to noon in Potosi.
Washington County residents can visit the EPA booth to:
- Sign up for free lead testing of your residential yard and private drinking water well.
- Learn about protecting your family from lead hazards in a historic lead mining area.
Additionally, residents can visit the booth to learn how EPA provides water filtration units to the owners of wells contaminated with heavy metals. There is no cost for homeowners to sign up to receive alternative water from EPA.
EPA will attend this Health Fair along with the Washington County Health Department (WCHD), Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS), and Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR).
Adults and children are eligible for free blood lead testing performed by WCHD and MDHSS. No registration is required.
Background
The Washington County Lead District (WCLD) includes four Superfund sites on the National Priorities List (NPL): Furnace Creek, Old Mines, Potosi and Richwoods.
Lead is the primary contaminant of concern at the WCLD Sites, although cadmium, arsenic and barium may be elevated in some wells. Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed and can pose serious health risks, particularly to children under 7 years old, as well as pregnant women and nursing mothers. Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults because their nervous systems are still developing. Children can get lead into their bodies by putting their hands or toys in their mouths after touching lead-contaminated soil and dust.
Learn more about the free lead testing and cleanup opportunity at the WCLD Sites, and learn more about the individual sites at the following links:
Learn more about how to protect your family from lead hazards in historic lead mining areas.
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