Iowa Army Ammunition Plant

⚠ Superfund · Cleanup underway

Currently, OU1, OU3, OU4, and OU5 have either intermin or complete Records of Decision (ROD) that establish a remedy. A draft ROD for OU9 is under review and awaiting signature by both EPA and DoD sometime in 2025.

Location

CityMiddletown
CountyDes Moines County
StateIowa
Coordinates40.80833, -91.24667

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 10/01/1979
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 07/14/1989
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 08/30/1990
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 09/20/1990
  5. Remedy Selected — 03/04/1998
  6. Remedial Action Started — 07/01/1999
  7. Construction Completed — Not Yet Achieved
  8. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 03/26/2024
  10. Achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Reuse — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Iowa Army Ammunition Plant is a federal Superfund site in Iowa. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Cleanup underway. Active cleanup is underway, meaning EPA has approved a remediation plan and work is in progress. Cleanup timelines vary widely — some sites take decades depending on contamination depth, groundwater involvement, and funding availability.

EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (hmx), 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. Contamination has been detected in soil, groundwater, solid waste, buildings/structures.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.