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Kitsap County Studies

Kitsap County is part of the 2005 Extended Footprint Study.  Soil samples were collected along the Puget Sound coast line in eastern parts of the county. Of 53 locations sampled, 13 had elevated arsenic levels, and no locations had elevated lead. The highest concentrations were:

• 37 parts per million for arsenic
• 198 parts per million for lead

The amounts of arsenic and lead are low in comparison to other counties in the Tacoma Smelter Plume. The pollutants were primarily found in undeveloped areas and we expect developed properties to have even lower amounts. While these levels are above natural background values for the area, they are not an immediate health risk.

For further information, see Kitsap County Health’s Tacoma Smelter Plume Project page at http://www.kitsapcountyhealth.com/tacoma_smelter_project.htm.

The following maps offer a brief overview of the results of the Extended Footprint Study:

Maximum arsenic levels
Maximum lead levels