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Regional HazMat team briefs Black Hawk County on rare full activations and spill costs
Summary
A regional HazMat representative told the Board that full-team activations occur only about once or twice a year, that the Northeast Iowa Response Group serves 10 counties under a 28E agreement, and that a May 2026 sulfuric acid spill near Raymond cost roughly $17,000 to respond.
Dave Jensson, a Waterloo Fire & Rescue training officer who represents the Northeast Iowa Response Group, told the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on June 16 that the regional hazardous materials team—established in 1994 and governed by a 28E agreement last updated in 2014—serves 10 counties and operates under three response levels: informational support (no cost), on-scene response, and full team activation.
Jensson said full activations are rare, occurring roughly one to two times per year across the region, and that response costs are billed to the county where an incident occurs, which then seeks reimbursement from the responsible party or their insurer. He cited a May 2026 sulfuric acid spill near Raymond (I-380/Highway 20) with an estimated response cost of about $17,000 and noted that Black Hawk County has had two HazMat responses in the past 10 years.
The presentation outlined the finance and governance model: counties pay an annual fee to support training and response under the intergovernmental 28E agreement, and the agreement distinguishes levels of service so routine informational support incurs no county billing while full activations generate direct response charges. Jensson emphasized that full activations are uncommon but costly when they occur.
The briefing gave supervisors context for budgeting and risk management for hazardous incidents on county roads and highways; no board action was required following the presentation.
