The City of Waterloo (City) recently completed an Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) Inspection at a cold storage warehouse formerly operated by Crystal Ice at 70 Sycamore Street (site) under its United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Brownfields Multipurpose Grant. The investigation identified asbestos in twelve (12) of the seventy-six (76) samples collected from various building components within the site’s interior and exterior. ACMs included: wall mastic; mudded elbow(s); window caulk; parapet tar; roof cork mastic; wall felt; wall plaster; awning caulk; and protrusion tar.
The City is proposing to abate all identified ACM from the structure using additional Multipurpose Grant funds. This action will help facilitate demolition and future site redevelopment activities. The City commissioned an Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) in October 2025 to guide the remediation process. The report examined various asbestos cleanup options in the context of their respective effectiveness, ability to implement, and cost. Remediation alternatives included 1) do nothing, 2) only abate friable or deteriorated ACMs from the structure, or 3) remove all ACMs from the structure. Alternative #3 was selected as the preferred option as it advanced the City’s long-term redevelopment goals for the site. A copy of the ABCA is available for review here. Interested residents are invited to provide comment on the document by no later than Friday, January 23, 2026 via email to Noel Anderson, Community Planning and Development Director, at noel.anderson@waterloo-ia.org.
