06/11/2026
Heads up, Des Moines! 🌿
Join us for free lead and arsenic soil testing at our SoilSHOP event at Midway Covenant in Des Moines!
Puget Sound has a rich history of land and industry - but industrial practices from long ago may have had unseen lasting impacts on our soils and waters today.
For nearly a century, a Tacoma-based copper smelter, operated by the Asarco Company, spread lead, arsenic, and other heavy metals into the air. This is now known as the Tacoma Smelter Plume, or TSP. Over time, those compounds settled into the soils around Puget Sound, where they remain to this day.
In the spring & summer of 2026, KCD and the WA Dept of Ecology will be coming to local community gardens in parts of the region that may have been exposed to the TSP, and testing soils on-site free of charge.
If you live in a possibly affected area and wish to have your soils tested, or if you wish to learn more about the TSP and its effects, please join us at the third 2026 SoilSHOP series, happening at Midway Covenant's garden. We are also offering free compost - please bring a container if you wish to take some home.
The Des Moines event will be a little different than other SoilSHOPs - other health & environment-focused organizations will be joining us, such as Recology, the WA Dept. of Health, and more! They will have resources for you to check out as well. Plus, bring your children to enjoy a free lunch, a bouncy house and other kid-friendly activities.
The final event of the 2026 SoilSHOP series will be in July, at the Vashon Island Strawberry Festival.
Sponsored by KCD with funding from WA Dept of Ecology.
