Response Description

March 2019 precipitation resulted in flooding across the Midwest, including all four states that comprise EPA Region 7.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was in immediate contact with all four states affected by the flood, to offer assistance and hear what they foresaw as their most critical issues.  In Iowa, flooding was prevalent on the western side of the state, along the Missouri River and its tributaries. In particular, the Missouri River floodplain, south of Council Bluffs to the Iowa/Missouri state line, was heavily impacted by the flooding.  Since the onset of flooding, EPA officials have been coordinating with the State of Iowa response community and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide information and resources regarding oil and hazardous materials potentially impacted by floodwaters.  On March 27, 2019, an EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) and an EPA contractor deployed to Iowa to join Unified Command and support the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).  Specifically, EPA was mission assigned under Emergency Support Function (ESF) #10 to identify and recover orphaned containers and respond to releases of oil and hazardous materials as a result of the flood.  

Response Activities

Initial reconnaissance to identify orphaned containers began on March 29, 2019.  EPA and IDNR identified orphaned container locations through public and local/state responder reports, as well as, land and aerial reconnaissance.  Recovery of orphaned containers commenced on April 13, 2019.  Priorities for recovery, as determined by the State of Iowa, were an approximate 60 miles of right of way along Interstate and State Highway routes, including I-29, I-680, Highway 34, and Highway 2.  Other identified priorities were the recovery of containers from the Missouri River Levee and eight other associated levees, as well as, state-owned lands, public right of ways, creeks/drainages, and private properties where right of entry to recover displaced containers was obtained. 

Recovered containers were transported to a Waste Collection Pad, which is the I-29 Rest Area #36.  The Iowa Department of Transportation granted EPA access to operate the rest area for temporary use and had closed the rest area to public access.  Activities conducted at the Waste Collection Pad were temporary storage, owner identification, hazardous waste characterization, and shipment for disposal, recycling, or reuse.  EPA developed a property claim procedure for residents/businesses claiming displaced property, such as propane tanks.   

EPA ESF-10 Mission Assignment activities were completed on June 15, 2019, when all recovered containers and associated waste were transported off the Waste Collection Pad.  On June 17, 2019, EPA submitted to IDNR an ESF-10 Transition Plan to document response activities completed and to transition the response to releases of hazardous materials and oil back to the state of Iowa.  The transition plan also ensures the transfer/sharing of response data with the state of Iowa. 

Recovery Totals

The table below summarizes the total number of orphaned containers recovered during the 2019 Iowa Flood Response.