MARENGO, IOWA – Following a large explosion at an Iowa plant, the state’s Department of Natural Resources says there is a “clear threat to the public” from hazardous chemicals, and issued an emergency order to the company to clean up its site.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources on Friday issued an Emergency Order to C6-Zero Iowa LLC following an explosion and fire on December 8, 2022. The DNR issued the order regarding the company’s Marengo, Iowa, shingle recycling facility due to the “clear threat to public health and the environment” in the facility’s current condition and the possibility of “another catastrophic event” due to chemicals still inside the building.
The Emergency Order requires the immediate stabilization of hazardous conditions and the removal of all solid waste on-site, as well as the full remediation of the area.
The Emergency Order outlines interactions between C6-Zero and the Environmental Protection Agency and the DNR beginning December 3, 2020 through December 15, 2022.
The Emergency Order can be found on the DNR’s website, here.
The DNR says the Emergency Order is issued following the explosion and subsequent fire occurring at the C6-Zero facility located at 810 E South Street, Marengo, Iowa. The building is owned by Heartland Crush, LLC, and operated by C-6 Zero Iowa LLC, a foreign-registered company with multiple related and similarly-named entities (hereinafter, C6-Zero). The explosion and fire injured nearly half of all employees working on-site, some quite severely; and required the evacuation of the surrounding community. The facility’s current condition is a clear threat to public health and the environment, the DNR claims, and another catastrophic event is possible due to the presence of unknown flammable chemicals and gases remaining inside a damaged building, exposed to the elements.
Iowa County and other area firefighters battled the blaze that was likely the most dangerous fire many of them will ever fight, Iowa county sheriff Rob Rotter said afterward.
“How can these men and women be properly thanked?” the sherif asked. “How can all the responders at the scene, and in support of the scene, be thanked? How can we show gratitude to all the people who supplied food, and water, and other provisions? If I try to name individuals, departments, agencies, and businesses, I will no doubt leave someone out. There were over 300 total responders and support personnel playing a part in this serious event. Every one of them taking part in preserving life and nearby properties from further peril.”
(Photo via Iowa county sheriff)
