Recycletronics-Akron Farm Facility Superfund Site, Akron, Plymouth County, Iowa – Fact Sheet, July 2022

Site Update

About the Site

The Recycletronics-Akron Farm Facility Superfund Site is located on a residential farmstead at 16998 160th Street, Akron, Plymouth County, Iowa. The site was an unauthorized storage location for a now-defunct electronics waste recycling business. Waste present at the site primarily consists of cathode ray tube (CRT) glass. The CRT glass is currently being stored in an approximately 9,000-square-foot storage building at the site. CRT glass is considered a hazardous waste due to high levels of lead contained in the glass.

Additional information on the site can be found on EPA's website. Anyone without internet access can view these documents online during normal business hours at this location:

Akron Public Library
350 Reed St.
Akron, IA 51001
712-568-2601

What is Superfund?

Superfund often refers to hazardous waste sites and EPA’s cleanup process. It is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). This federal law authorizes EPA to clean up contaminated sites.

What is Lead?

Lead is a naturally occurring element. However, most lead exposure is due to human activity. Lead can be harmful to humans, especially children. A person can be exposed to lead through ingesting (eating or drinking) something with lead in it or through inhaling (breathing) lead dust. Lead is a CERCLA hazardous substance and a common contaminant at EPA Superfund sites.

Lead contained in the CRT glass is the primary contaminant present at the site. As the CRT glass breaks down over time, lead will leach into the surrounding soil and increase the risk of human exposure.

Learn more about lead. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has a series of summaries about contaminants, called ToxFAQs, where you can find one on lead.

Upcoming Work in Your Community Work is expected to begin at the site in mid-June 2022.  To clean up the site, EPA will transport the CRT glass to a certified hazardous waste management facility for disposal. The CRT glass will be processed on-site to reduce transportation and disposal costs. Processing activities may produce small amounts of lead-containing dust. Perimeter air and dust monitoring will be conducted throughout the removal to ensure the safety of nearby residents. During the cleanup process, you may notice an increased amount of heavy equipment and truck traffic in the vicinity of the site. Dust suppression measures will be put in place on gravel roads to reduce impacts to nearby residents. Additionally, signage and other safety measures will be installed during the project to alert local residents of potential hazards caused by the increased traffic.

EPA Contact Information

Daniel O’Crowley
On-Scene Coordinator
EPA Region 7 (SEMD/AERR/RREP)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Phone: 913-551-7611
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
Email: ocrowley.daniel@epa.gov

Amelia Holcomb
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 7 (ORA/OPA)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Phone: 913-551-7952
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
Email: holcomb.amelia@epa.gov