The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), and federal partners are hosting a free soil screening event—called soilSHOP—for residents and property owners in Gilmore, Idaho. The event will be held along Meadow Lake Road (Gilmore Road), between the townsite and State Highway 28, on Saturday, July 23, from 8 am to 8 pm.

DEQ and DHW staff will be on-site to conduct soil screenings, explain results, and discuss ways to reduce potential exposure to lead and other harmful metals found in soil at and around the Gilmore townsite. Staff from the Lemhi Historical Society, Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service will also be on-site to answer questions about Gilmore’s history, the surrounding mine lands, and wildfire prevention.

To participate, landowners will need to collect a dry soil sample from their property and bring it to the soilSHOP. Sample collection involves gathering soil from areas of interest, such as outdoor living spaces, camping spots, or play areas, and placing it in a clean plastic bag. Sample collection supplies will be available for free during the event if needed. Learn more about collecting a sample for the soilSHOP.

Screenings will be conducted using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument providing rapid assessments but has limitations:

• Soil screenings are not designed to characterize entire properties.
• Field-based screening is not as accurate as laboratory analysis.
• The screening data will be for information purposes only. Participating agencies will not collect the data, and the data will not be scientifically or legally defensible.
• Sample interpretations and screening data are not designed, or of appropriate data quality to drive public health decisions.

For more information about the event, please contact Kevin Kostka at kevin.kostka@deq.idaho.gov.