EPA's Most Productive Laboratory Gets 20-Year Facility Lease, Reduces Footprint While Maintaining Analytical Capability And Jobs

EPA Region 7’s Science and Technology Center in Kansas City, Kansas, employs over 50 personnel and provides over $4M in environmental analyses per year

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Kansas City Science and Technology Center (KCSTC), located at 300 Minnesota Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas, has renewed its facility lease through 2043. Today, EPA Region 7 and local leaders celebrated the 20-year lease renewal at the KCSTC.

The lease renewal reduces EPA’s footprint within the existing facility by nearly 25,000 square feet, saving taxpayers approximately S1.9M in rent and utilities per year and keeping over 50 jobs in the region.

“The Kansas City Science and Technology Center is invaluable to our environmental protections and is EPA’s most productive laboratory,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “This lease renewal will allow us to retain well-paying jobs, reduce our support-area footprint and yearly facility costs, and retain the original laboratory space so we can continue delivering high-quality customer service and trusted scientific results to the Heartland for the next 20 years.”

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (KS) joined the lease renewal event. “The EPA’s Science and Technology Lab is a source of high-quality jobs for the Kansas City and Wyandotte County communities,” said Moran. “Renewing this lease will make certain the work being done at the lab to promote clean air and drinking water for Kansas communities continues, while also bolstering the Kansas City economy.”

EPA is working with the General Services Administration (GSA) to reduce the facility footprint by moving entirely to the first floor of the two-story building and reconfiguring cubicle spaces, while fully retaining the original laboratory space. GSA Public Buildings Service Region 6 Leasing Director Shellie Gill also joined the event.

"The lab lease renewal highlights how the GSA is harnessing a unique moment for the federal workplace by evolving the services we offer and optimizing the federal footprint in partnership with our agency customers like the EPA," said Gill.

The KCSTC is accredited through the International Standards Organization (ISO) 17025 for all analyses and holds an EPA Drinking Water Certification for microbiological analyses. In fiscal year 2022, the KCSTC analyzed over 21,000 environmental samples. Together, these analyses represent over $4M in support to state programs for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and the nine tribal nations in the region.

Services include:

• Water quality monitoring
• Emerging contaminant testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
• Soil analysis for lead and bioaccessible lead
• Harmful algal bloom monitoring for states
• Urban stream monitoring
• Air volatile organic analysis for Superfund sites
• Fish tissue testing for mercury for states and tribes

What They’re Saying
Congressional Members

“This is great news, and ensures that Kansas will remain home to the most productive EPA laboratory through 2043. Kansas City, Kansas, will no doubt benefit from the well-paying jobs made available in the community for the next 20 years.” – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (KS)

“The Kansas City Science and Technology Center is not only helping to protect our region and country’s environment, but also employing local workers in the Kansas City area. I am glad this laboratory will continue their important work in our community and commend their efforts to save taxpayer dollars.” – U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Background
The Kansas City Science and Technology Center (KCSTC) is one of 10 regional laboratories in the EPA Regional Laboratory Network that provides field monitoring, analytical support, and data assessments in support of Agency decisions and goals.

The KCSTC opened in spring 2003 as a build-to-suit facility. It is built on a Brownfields redevelopment site, meaning the redevelopment of the land was complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The facility was built with recycled and sustainably sourced materials to promote energy efficiency and water conservation, and achieved LEED Gold for New Construction (version 2.0) certification in August 2003.

The KCSTC has a unique graywater reuse system that collects rainwater from the roof and air handler condensate discharge, and a reverse osmosis system that generates pure water for laboratory experiments. The graywater is used to flush toilets and as cooling tower makeup water.

For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/fact-sheets-epa-sustainable-construction-and-renovation-projects#file-187729.