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Hazmat leader warns counties are financial backstop after recent sulfuric-acid spill
Summary
Captain Dave Jensen told the Blackhawk County Board that regional hazmat responses now bill counties under a 2014/2018 agreement, describing a May sulfuric-acid tanker leak that cost about $17,000 to mitigate and warning larger incidents can exceed six figures.
Captain Dave Jensen, hazmat team leader for a regional response group that covers Blackhawk County and nine other counties, briefed the Board of Supervisors on June 16 about recent hazardous-material responses and how billing works under the team’s agreement.
"I'm Captain Dave Jensen with the Woo Fire Department. I'm also the hazmat team leader that covers Black County and nine other counties," Jensen said, explaining the team was formed in 1994 and currently has about 28 technician members who train monthly. He described three response levels, from consultation (no charge) to full-team callouts that deploy specialized equipment and at least 14 responders.
Jensen said a May incident at the Raymond Road on-ramp — a sulfuric-acid leak from a tractor-trailer — required a full-team mitigation. "For us, we're just a little over $17,000 for that call to get that mitigated," he said, adding final invoices were still pending. He contrasted that cost with larger prior spills: one incident in 2014 generated a bill just under $100,000 that temporarily strained the affected city’s fire services.
The speaker explained a policy change in the 2014/2018 regional agreement (described during the meeting as a 28E-style mutual-aid agreement) moved billing responsibility to the county where the spill occurs; counties then pursue the spiller or insurer for reimbursement. Jensen said the change was prompted by the 2014 incident because the response group lacked standing to sue as an entity under the prior arrangement.
Board members asked about typical costs and frequency. Jensen said full-team callouts are "probably averaging one to two" per year, while smaller incidents range from about $3,000–$4,000 to more than $100,000 depending on complexity. He recommended counties consider reserve funding or an EMA-managed rollover fund to avoid being surprised by large bills at year-end.
The board did not take formal action during the presentation but discussed whether to set aside contingency dollars and how county finance staff would process future bills.
