Contaminated Site in Waterloo to be Cleaned

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Officials say an extraction system will be installed to remove chemical contamination from under an old Waterloo Industries plant on the north side of Waterloo.

Waterloo Industries' parent company, Fortune Brands, of Deerfield, Illinois, is cooperating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and paying for the cleanup.

The plan calls for a vacuum system to remove vapors from under the building, dissipate them into the air, evaporate the contamination over time and prevent the buildup of any hazardous vapors inside.

Tests show a concentration under the building of a solvent used in metal fabrication. The plant operated from 1946 through 1997.

The building is owned by JRL Holding Co. and houses Green Line Polymers , Bare Bones Gym and a self-storage operation.