The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) awarded the City of Le Mars (City) a $400,000 Community-wide Assessment Grant in 2025. These federal funds will assist in offsetting costs associated with completing environmental site assessments on targeted brownfields properties, conducting outreach activities, and analyzing remediation alternatives for properties requiring cleanup.
City officials selected Eocene Environmental Group, Inc. (Eocene) of West Des Moines, Iowa to oversee implementation of the EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant. The contractor has vast experience managing similar projects throughout the State and Midwest.
The City formed an Advisory Committee tasked with providing guidance to City and Eocene staff throughout the project. The volunteer group will meet biannually to assist with prioritizing targeted sites for assessment, promoting public outreach initiatives, and marketing properties for reuse. Advisory Committee members include Lucas Bernhardt (City of Le Mars), Jerry Schmitz (Iowa State Bank), Peggy Sitzmann (Sitzmann Real Estate), and Matt Susemihl (Perspective Insurance).
The City initiated extensive efforts to inform citizens of the project. This included creating a website (https://www.lemarsiowa.com/719/City-of-Le-Mars-EPA-Grant) that serves as a repository for project documents and produced a brochure summarizing the Brownfields Program. The City will also schedule an outreach event in May of this year at a site to be determined. The in-person event will include representatives from the City and Eocene and is designed to gather input on additional potential brownfields in Le Mars.
The City received positive site eligibility determinations from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and U.S. EPA to assess its first six properties. The investigations are expected to occur in early Spring.
