Black Hawk, IA
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology.
Environmental data for Black Hawk in Iowa · Population: 130,693
TRI sites such as John Deere Waterloo Works Drivetrain Operations and Foundry; Tyson Fresh Meats Inc Waterloo Iowa; Waterloo Processing LLC; SDWIS systems such as CEDAR FALLS MUNICIPAL WATER UTILITIES; EVANSDALE WATER WORKS; HUDSON WATER SUPPLY; NPL sites such as Waterloo Coal Gasification Plant anchor Black Hawk, IA's EPA extract. Derived burden score 44/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
John Deere Waterloo Works Drivetrain Operations and Foundry; Tyson Fresh Meats Inc Waterloo Iowa; Waterloo Processing LLC are among the largest Form R filers reporting in Black Hawk; no SDWIS system here carries an active health-based flag. AQS median AQI 47 / peak 87 in 2024.
Burden score 44/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Black Hawk -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Black Hawk, IA: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
+11.1%
19 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
+11.1%
488.5 thousand lb → 542.8 thousand lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 0 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Black Hawk, IA's total reported releases rose from 488.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 542.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Black Hawk, IA's land releases rose from 14 lb in 2022 to 1.2 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Black Hawk, IA's off-site transfers rose from 271.1 thousand lb in 2022 to 365.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Black Hawk, IA's water releases fell from 12.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 9.6 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Air Quality History (2020–2024)
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy (SG) | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 215 (59%) | 150 | 0 | 87 |
| 2023 | 147 (42%) | 200 | 4 | 187 |
| 2022 | 232 (64%) | 132 | 0 | 84 |
| 2021 | 211 (58%) | 154 | 0 | 96 |
| 2020 | 239 (65%) | 127 | 0 | 92 |
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)
For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Iowa, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (11)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| CEDAR FALLS MUNICIPAL WATER UTILITIES | 40,713 | 0 |
| EVANSDALE WATER WORKS | 4,561 | 0 |
| HUDSON WATER SUPPLY | 2,546 | 0 |
| JESUP MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY | 2,508 | 0 |
| LA PORTE CITY UTILITIES | 2,284 | 0 |
| ELK RUN HEIGHTS WATER SUPPLY | 1,069 | 0 |
| DUNKERTON MUNI WATER SUPPLY | 842 | 0 |
| GILBERTVILLE WATER WORKS | 796 | 0 |
| HAZLETON WATER SUPPLY | 713 | 0 |
| LENWOOD UTILITIES | 238 | 0 |
| MEADOW LANE MOBILE HOME PARK | 168 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (23)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Deere Waterloo Works Drivetrain Operations and Foundry | 963.2K lbs |
| 2 | Tyson Fresh Meats Inc Waterloo Iowa | 425.3K lbs |
| 3 | Waterloo Processing LLC | 358.8K lbs |
| 4 | Masterbrand Cabinets Waterloo Operations | 227.2K lbs |
| 5 | Bertch Cabinet LLC | 117.3K lbs |
| 6 | Crown Group Waterloo Plant | 32.7K lbs |
| 7 | Conagra Foods Packaged Foods Llc-Waterloo | 28.3K lbs |
| 8 | Advanced Heat Treat Corp. | 27.8K lbs |
| 9 | John Deere Waterloo Works Tcao | 26.3K lbs |
| 10 | John Deere Engine Works | 24.0K lbs |
| 11 | Viking Pump Inc-Alloys Foundry | 17.6K lbs |
| 12 | Hydrite Chemical Co. | 8.8K lbs |
| 13 | Viking Pump Inc. - South Main Facility | 5.9K lbs |
| 14 | Northland Products Co | 4.9K lbs |
| 15 | O'Neal Manufacturing Services DBA Iowa Laser | 1.2K lbs |
| 16 | Kent Nutrition Group Inc | 938 lbs |
| 17 | Cedar Falls Utilities | 116 lbs |
| 18 | Curbtender Inc | 16 lbs |
| 19 | Kcng Iowa LLC | 6 lbs |
| 20 | Kcng Iowa LLC | 4 lbs |
| 21 | Kcng Iowa LLC | 1 lbs |
| 22 | Advanced Heat Treat Corp | 0 lbs |
| 23 | A-Line E.d.s. | 0 lbs |
Superfund Sites (1)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Coal Gasification Plant | Proposed NPL Site | 50.00 |
Cities in Black Hawk (8)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Black Hawk, Iowa? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Black Hawk? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Black Hawk? ▼
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What environmental agencies cover Black Hawk? ▼
What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.