Buena Vista, IA

Low Risk (24/100)

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 Buena Vista in Iowa · Population: 20,684

TRI sites such as Tyson Fresh Meats Inc; Rembrandt Enterprises Inc.; Hillshire Brands Plant-Wholly Owned Sub of Tyson Foods Inc; SDWIS systems such as STORM LAKE WATER TREATMENT PLANT; ALTA MUNICIPAL WATER PLANT; SIOUX RAPIDS WATER DEPARTMENT anchor Buena Vista, IA's EPA extract. Derived burden score 24/100 (Low Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.

Tyson Fresh Meats Inc; Rembrandt Enterprises Inc.; Hillshire Brands Plant-Wholly Owned Sub of Tyson Foods Inc are among the largest Form R filers reporting in Buena Vista; no SDWIS system here carries an active health-based flag. No AQS county monitors report here.

Burden score 24/100 (Low 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 Buena Vista -- 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 Buena Vista, IA: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

+30.7%

7 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

+76.7%

58.7 thousand lb → 103.7 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.

  • Buena Vista, IA's total reported releases rose from 58.7 thousand lb in 2022 to 76.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Buena Vista, IA's off-site transfers fell from 4.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 0 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Buena Vista, IA's water releases rose from 18 lb in 2022 to 28 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Buena Vista, IA's air releases rose from 53.9 thousand lb in 2022 to 76.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
20,684
TRI Facilities
8
Water Systems
19
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
473.4K lbs

Water Systems (19)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
STORM LAKE WATER TREATMENT PLANT 11,431 0
ALTA MUNICIPAL WATER PLANT 2,087 0
SIOUX RAPIDS WATER DEPARTMENT 932 0
NEWELL WATER TREATMENT PLANT 906 0
LAKESIDE WATER SUPPLY 700 0
ALBERT CITY MUNI WATER SUPPLY 677 0
LOHRVILLE WATER SUPPLY 381 0
TWIN LAKES UTILITIES 300 0
CLEGHORN WATER SUPPLY 240 0
MARATHON LIGHT & WATER DEPARTMENT 230 0
CUSHING WATER SUPPLY 230 0
ARTHUR MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY 222 0
REMBRANDT WATER SUPPLY 209 0
LAKE CREEK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION 175 0
MERIDEN MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY 161 0
BRUNSVILLE MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY 129 0
LARRABEE MUNICIPAL WATER WORKS 125 0
WESTFIELD WATER SUPPLY 123 0
HILLTOP VILLAGE MHC, INC. 78 0

TRI Facilities (8)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Tyson Fresh Meats Inc 163.8K lbs
2 Rembrandt Enterprises Inc. 108.6K lbs
3 Hillshire Brands Plant-Wholly Owned Sub of Tyson Foods Inc 108.2K lbs
4 Valero Renewable Fuels Albert City* 91.7K lbs
5 Furst McNess Co 1.0K lbs
6 Meridian Manufacturing Inc. 0 lbs
7 Hillshire Brands Mill-Wholly Owned Sub of Tyson Foods Inc 0 lbs
8 The Hillshire Brands Co Feed Mill 0 lbs

Cities in Buena Vista (9)

Storm Lake
6 facilities · 8 water
Albert City
1 facilities · 0 water
Rembrandt
1 facilities · 0 water
Newell
0 facilities · 6 water
Rockwell City
0 facilities · 2 water
Alta
0 facilities · 1 water
Lakeside
0 facilities · 1 water
Marathon
0 facilities · 1 water
Sioux Rapids
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Buena Vista, Iowa?
Buena Vista, IA has an environmental risk score of 24/100 (Low Risk), based on 8 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 19 water systems on record. No water systems have current health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Buena Vista?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Buena Vista, IA in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Buena Vista?
Buena Vista, IA has 8 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 473.4K lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Buena Vista?
Air quality monitoring data (EPA AQS) is not available for Buena Vista, IA. This may indicate no EPA monitoring stations are located in the county. For regional air quality data, see the state environmental profile or visit EPA's AirNow.gov.
Is the drinking water safe in Buena Vista?
Buena Vista, IA has 19 EPA-regulated water systems. No health-based violations are currently on record. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Buena Vista?
Environmental compliance in Buena Vista, Iowa is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Iowa state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

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.

Related

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro