EPA says Cedar Rapids Ralston Superfund remedy remains protective but calls for added controls and PFAS testing

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that the cleanup remedy at the Ralston Superfund site in Cedar Rapids remains protective of human health and the environment in the short term, while recommending further property controls and continued testing for PFAS.

EPA Region 7 announced completion of the site’s fifth five-year review in a July 2, 2026, public notice. The review is the agency’s current assessment of the remedy at the Cedar Rapids site in Linn County.

Controls support short-term finding

EPA said engineering controls and restrictions on groundwater use are preventing unacceptable exposure to soil and groundwater. Those measures support the agency’s finding that the remedy is protective in the short term.

The finding does not mean EPA has declared the site fully cleaned up. The agency also identified actions intended to provide or maintain long-term protection for portions of the local cleanup area.

An environmental covenant already applies to Rockwell Collins’ property, EPA said. The covenant provides long-term protection by restricting damage or alteration to part of the remedy.

Two additional covenants recommended

EPA recommended similar environmental covenants for two adjacent properties where the disposal-area cap overlaps. The recommendation is not confirmation that those covenants have been completed or executed.

Property controls are among the actions EPA identified as needed alongside the existing engineering and groundwater-use measures. The agency’s notice does not set a deadline for putting the recommended covenants in place.

PFAS sampling remains ahead

The agency also recommended continued sampling for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, to better characterize the extent of contamination. EPA’s notice does not provide new PFAS concentration results, a cost estimate for the follow-up work or a schedule for the sampling.

The recommendation should not be read as a finding in the notice of a newly identified immediate public-health threat. EPA’s stated determination is that the current remedy is protective in the short term, with additional long-term protections and continued characterization work recommended.

EPA said the five-year review and other cleanup documents are available through its site repositories. The next known actions described in the notice are the recommended covenants for the two adjacent properties and continued PFAS sampling; no completion dates were provided.