The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ended oversight of the cleanup of the area around a shingle recycling factory in eastern Iowa that exploded and burned in December 2022, the federal agency announced Thursday.
The EPA took responsibility for the site in Marengo in May 2023 at the request of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. State officials had asked the agency to oversee the cleanup after contractors missed deadlines to test for and remove contaminated water and soil.
According to the EPA, officials were most concerned with contamination from tetrachloroethylene (PCE) , cis-1,2-dichlorothene (DCE) , naphthalene , lead , and petroleum. The EPA oversaw contractors who hauled away and disposed of the contaminated soil and water.
More: Iowa factory, site of explosion, massive fire, was full of safety hazards, EPA finds
Iowa DNR spokesperson Tammie Krausman said in an email Thursday that department officials will review cleanup reports submitted to the EPA. The DNR and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office will determine whether the company operating the factory at the time of the explosion, C6-Zero, will need to take more action to remediate the hazards.