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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids Fire Department responds to petroleum spill in Cedar Lake

Aug. 27, 2025 12:03 pm, Updated: Aug. 27, 2025 4:35 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Fire Department and Linn County Regional Hazmat Team responded to a petroleum spill in an inlet of the Cedar Lake Tuesday afternoon, according to a Facebook post from the fire department.
Emergency responders were called to the scene at 2:38 p.m. Tuesday after a partially submerged barge used for industrial purposes listed heavily to one side due to an unknown failure, the post states.
Petroleum products leaked from the onboard storage of the barge, and the firefighters and Hazmat team worked Tuesday to keep the material temporarily in place using watercraft and floating booms.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources had not responded as of Wednesday morning to a request for more information about the clean-up efforts, which were expected to continue Wednesday after the initial emergency response.
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