EPA Region 7 Completes Oversight of Removal Activities at C6-Zero Site in Marengo, Iowa

EPA Region 7 Completes Oversight of Removal Activities at C6-Zero Site in Marengo, Iowa

Explosion and fire at the site in December 2022 started a multi-agency, multi-year investigation and cleanup

August 1, 2024

LENEXA, KAN. (AUG. 1, 2024) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has completed oversight of removal operations by the potentially responsible party at the C6-Zero Site in Marengo, Iowa.

After the explosion and fire on-site on Dec. 8, 2022, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) maintained the site through an emergency order while providing oversight to contractors, hired by C6-Zero Iowa LLC, to perform the cleanup.

EPA began oversight of removal operations in May 2023 after receiving a request for federal assistance from IDNR in April 2023. C6-Zero and EPA Region 7 entered into an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for Removal Action to formalize response and removal operations with defined time frames and deliverables.

As a result of the explosion and subsequent fire, the primary contaminants of concern associated with the C6-Zero Site included tetrachloroethylene (PCE), cis-1,2-dichlorothene (DCE), naphthalene and related chemicals, lead, and petroleum products, among others.

Removal operations at the site included the categorization, bulking, and disposal of all waste generated on-site, such as contaminated liquids and solids.

After the removal of these materials, contractors operating on behalf of C6-Zero excavated additional areas of the site where bulking and disposal shipping took place. EPA received the final excavation report, and final report for removal activities, after confirmation sampling indicated that no additional soil excavation at the site was warranted.

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