Hunter
12/31/22
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources plans to pursue legal action after a Marengo company failed to file a report detailing how owners plan to clean up an area that exploded and caught fire earlier this month.
The Gazette reports that an emergency order December 15th gave C6-Zero until 5 p.m. Friday to submit the written report explaining sources of contamination and plan for cleanup. The order also stipulated that C6-Zero must implement all requirements of the plan within 45 days of the order.
The company says it recycles used asphalt shingles by using a proprietary solvent to dissolve them into component parts of oil, sand and fiberglass. On December 8th, liquid solvent in a tank exploded and started a fire that sent up to 15 people to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment of injuries.
Mark Corallo, a C6-Zero consultant and spokesman, told the Gazette that the company launched environmental mitigation and site cleanup within 24 hours of the incident. However, the Iowa DNR staff who have had access to the building report multiple large ankle-deep pools of an oily substance. They also say missing walls and ceiling portions suggest that the building isn’t stable.
Tammie Krausman, spokeswoman for the IDNR, said Friday evening she didn’t know whether there would be daily penalties right away and if so, which fines would apply or who would decide. The order says the company is subject to $5000-per-day fines for solid waste violations and $10,000 per day for air quality violations.