The Allegheny County Conservation District is hosting its bi-annual free soil lead screening from April 3rd to 7th. Soil samples will be accepted at five locations.

Interest in backyard gardening is surging in Allegheny County, as well as initiatives to revitalize vacant lots into community greenspace and urban gardens.

Contaminants are common in urban soils and can be hazardous to health when inhaled or ingested. Soil testing is the first step to reduce the risk of exposure to heavy metals in urban soils. 

Registration is required. All participants must pre-register for this event. ACCD will contact you to confirm your registration with detailed instructions on how to collect, label and drop off your samples.

Click Here to register.

Drop Off Locations

Once you collect and label your soil samples, drop off at any location listed below during open hours between  Wednesday, April 3 and Sunday, April 7--

-- EAST END: Grow Pittsburgh Garden Resource Center, 147 Putnam St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (Wednesdays & Fridays from 3 PM- 6 PM; Saturdays from 9

 AM- 3 PM)            

-- SOUTH SIDE: Soil Sisters Plant Nursery, 123 Beltzhoover Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 (Wednesdays- Fridays from 5 PM- 8 PM, Saturday- Sunday from

 11 AM- 5 PM)            

-- WEST END: Farmer Girl Eb Shop, 1 Noblestown Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15220 (Wednesday- Friday from 11 AM- 7 PM; Saturday from 9 AM- 5 PM)            

-- NORTHSIDE: Allegheny Commons Community Garden, 300 Stockton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (Wednesday- Sunday from 9 AM- 7 PM) ·           

-- CENTRAL: Peace and Friendship Farm, 678 Somers St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (Wednesday- Sunday from 9 AM- 7 PM)

Results will be sent to you within approximately three weeks, along with information to help you understand and act on your results.

In 2023, ACCD analyzed 953 soil samples for lead using an X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) machine. Traditional laboratory testing is a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, costing an average of $30 or more for soil lead results. ACCD’s free service provided an estimated $28,590 of services to the Allegheny County community.

“ACCD's Urban Soils Program empowers our community to safely steward urban greenspaces. Through soil screening and site visits, we provide essential knowledge and practical

 support for projects, cultivating healthier communities from the ground up,” said Hayly Hoch, Natural Resources Outreach Educator.

Questions should be directed to Hayly Hoch at hhoch@accdpa.org or call 412-241-7645 ext. 8009 for questions and more information.

Click Here for more information and to register.

The Allegheny County Conservation District is an urban conservation district that engages and leads through partnerships, innovation and implementation to conserve, promote and improve Allegheny County’s natural resources.

Resource Links - Watersheds:

-- Penn State Extension - Special Flooding Resources Watershed Winds Newsletter

-- Penn State Extension Webinar: April 19 Uses And Benefits Of Rain Barrels, 7:00 p.m.

-- Penn State Extension: May 4 Rain Barrel Discovery Workshop, Lancaster; Registration Fee Includes Rain Barrel 

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- US Dept. Of Interior Announces $244 Million In Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funding For Pennsylvania; Local Grants Available  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Newsletter Highlights Proposed York County Hydroelectric Project; Filling Water Use Data Gaps; 2023 Annual Report  [PaEN]

-- Request For Presentation Proposals: Delaware River Watershed Forum Sept. 26-27 In Bethlehem, PA  [PaEN]

-- PA Resources Council Launches New What's Up Watershed?  Educational Series  [PaEN]

-- Protecting Clean Water Together: Water In Your Pocket: Why Not Buy Refurbished Tech? - By Carol Hillestad for the Brodhead Watershed Association  [PaEN]

-- Two BioBlitz Events, Earth Day Events In Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster Counties Coming Up!  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- TribLive: Work Begins To Stabilize Abandoned Mine Subsidence-Prone Portion Of Westmoreland Village

-- WESA: PA Leads Nation In Abandoned Coal Mines, But Feds See Light At End Of The Tunnel

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Feds Give PA $244 Million For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Problems

-- Tribune-Review: Mucky, Orangish Abandoned Mine Water Flows Out Of Hillside Into Johnstown Due To Heavy Rains

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Casey Announces $1.35 Million For Nanticoke Creek Restoration Project 

-- WNEP: $1 Million+ Abandoned Coal Mine Land Reclamation Project Announced In Luzerne County

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable, Jeremy Cox: As Rain Fell, Sewage Systems Across The Bay Region Buckled

-- LancasterOnline: Manheim Twp. Says City Of Lancaster Trying To Pass The Buck In Stormwater Lawsuit

-- Scranton Times: DEP: Sediment From Dam Repair Project Significantly Impaired Roaring Brook

-- The Allegheny Front: PennEnergy Plan To Withdraw Water From Big Sewickley Creek In Beaver County For Fracking Revives Worry About Threatened  Fish

-- GettysburgConnection.org: Adams County Planting Partnership, Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, Watershed Alliance of Adams County Offers Free Native Trees For Adams County Residents

-- WGAL: Spreading Awareness While Also Planting Thousands Of Trees In Lancaster

-- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay: Check Here For Upcoming Earth Day Activities

-- Two BioBlitz Events, Earth Day Events In Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster Counties Coming Up!

-- Warren Times - Josh Cotton: Felled Trees Used To Improve Allegheny National Forest

-- Inquirer: Water Privatization Is Coming Under Renewed Scrutiny From PA Lawmakers, Regulators As Consumers Sour On Rate Increases

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Files Motion To Intervene In Susquehanna River Hydroelectric Facility Case With FERC

-- Delaware RiverKeeper April 5 RiverWatch Video Report

[Posted: April 2, 2024]

4/8/2024