Waterloo City Council approved a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Iowa State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) regarding the removal of hazardous materials at the former Rath Packing Plant on April 20, 2026. The City is currently implementing an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant to fund asbestos abatement activities at the vacant -story structure. Iowa SHPO concurred with EPA’s determination that the undertaking may have an adverse effect on Buildings 88 and 131, which are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
The City, on behalf of the EPA, agreed to carry out and complete the following mitigation measures within three years as part of the cleanup project:
i. Completion of a reconnaissance-level historic architecture survey of extant industrial facilities within the city limits of Waterloo that are 45 years of age or older.
ii. The survey shall be conducted by a Secretary of Interior professional Architectural Historian.
iii. The survey shall be completed in accordance with the standards for reconnaissance-level surveys presented in the most current edition of the SHPO Guidelines for Historic Architectural Surveys in Iowa.
iv. The survey shall include preparation of a report that presents a historical overview of the history of industry in Waterloo and known industrial facilities that contributed to the development and growth of Waterloo.
v. The draft survey report and a Resource Inventory Spreadsheet (RIS) of surveyed industrial facilities shall be presented to the EPA and SHPO for review and comment.
vi. SHPO will be provided 30 days for review and comment of the draft RIS and report
vii. A final survey report and RIS will be submitted to the EPA and SHPO within 1 month of receipt of comments.
The City is awaiting counter signatures from EPA and SHPO before the MOA is fully executed.
