On Aug. 26, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 spill line received a report from the Kansas Fire Marshal about mercury found inside the Ford County Household Hazardous Waste and Noxious Weed building. The mercury appears to have been left over from a spill that happened in January 2026 but was not fully cleaned up at that time.
The next day, Aug. 27, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment formally asked EPA to assist with overseeing the cleanup. EPA sent an On‑Scene Coordinator (OSC) and contractors to the site. Ford County had already hired a cleanup contractor to remove the mercury and clean the affected areas, and EPA’s role was to oversee that work and check whether any contamination had spread outside the building.
On Aug. 28, EPA completed its evaluation and determined that the mercury had not spread off‑site. Cleanup work continued through Aug. 31, when the contractor finished all removal and cleaning activities.
Cleanup is complete. With no off-site impacts identified, no additional work is warranted or planned.
