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EPA to Coordinate Hazardous Material Recovery from Iowa Floods

Release Date: 06/17/2008
Contact Information: David W. Bryan, (913) 551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., June 17, 2008) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate hazardous material and oil-related response in flooded areas throughout Iowa.

EPA anticipates its activities will include:

• Retrieval of orphaned hazardous containers and drums, such as fuel and propane tanks
• Response to chemical and oil releases
• Collection and disposal of flood-damaged household hazardous waste, and
• Air/water monitoring and sampling

EPA teams are currently deployed in several locations across Iowa. The teams are working closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and other state and local officials as part of the coordinated flood response in Iowa. An EPA on-scene coordinator is also serving as the Agency's liaison at the Emergency Operations Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

To report orphaned hazardous containers or chemical/oil releases, citizens should call the EPA Region 7 24-hour Response Line at (913) 281-0991.