MARENGO, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued an emergency order requiring C6-Zero to remediate the damage caused by the explosion at its Marengo facility on Dec. 8, according to a new release from the agency.
The DNR order was issued on Dec. 8 and later publicized on Friday, Dec. 16, and requires the company to remediate and clear the area around its Heartland Crush shingle recycling plant due to "'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."
Additionally, the DNR order notes that the facility's current condition continues to pose a danger due to the area due to lingering flammable chemicals and gasses exposed to the elements.
C6-Zero must immediately work to stabilize the site's hazardous conditions, remove all solid waste, and perform full remediation.
The DNR also cited that C6-Zero and its founder, Howard Brand, had failed to comply with Iowa's air quality, hazardous conditions, solid waste and legitimate recycling laws.
Officials determined that Brand and the company are liable for the full remediation costs, including the development and implementation of the remediation plan and specific activities to protect the health of the Iowa public, air, soil and water.
Included in the order's full text is a lengthy list of incidents dating back to Dec. 2020 showing C6-Zero's troubled recent history with environmental regulators like the Iowa DNR and the federal Environmental Protection Agency at the Heartland Crush facility.
The DNR order also mandates C6-Zero to cease all operations at the Marengo facility and bars the business from conducting any more operations in the state until it is fully compliant with all Iowa laws and the remediation plan is complete.
You can find the full text of the Iowa DNR report by clicking/tapping here.
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