Chamberlain demolition raises a stink

WATERLOO, Iowa --- Demolition at the former Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp. has been halted after something raised a stink.

Vieth Construction Corp. of Cedar Falls was told to stop working at the contaminated former manufacturing site last month after crews unearthed something that spread an obnoxious odor through the neighborhood.

Waterloo City Council members this week approved spending up to $25,000 with HR Green Inc. of Cedar Rapids for environmental testing on the site at East Fourth and Esther streets. The firm is also putting a plan in place to deal with future surprises, including the use of air canisters to capture samples if another odor arises.

"The contractor was told to not remove any more footings or slabs for now," said Chris Western, a city planner II overseeing the project. "We keep running across things we didn't quite expect."

Before discovering the smelly material, demolition crews uncovered four buried rail cars.

"We found the rail cars were cleaned and closed in place by an environmental firm, and filled with sand," Western said. "Chamberlain has agreed to pay for the removal and scrapping of those cars."

Test results of the malodorous area are expected early next week, which should allow contractors to resume work when the snow disappears.

"We covered it with plastic for now to minimize the smell, which I think has worked well," Western said. "The initial test results are that it wasn't anything too serious."

Chamberlain, a former defense contractor, operated at the 22-acre site from 1919 until 1994.

The city of Waterloo acquired the property in 2005 and began working with the Environmental Protection Agency, using federal grants to tear down the buildings and test for contaminants. Vieth Construction is removing the remaining concrete and asphalt slabs, footings and structures under a $468,000 contract.

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Chamberlain demolition raises a stink