Demolition will soon take place for several homes in Mystic, Iowa that were affected by flood waters in 2007.
MYSTIC, IOWA -- On Monday, the abatement process began in Mystic. Crews began removing hazardous material from several abandoned homes, including Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material (RACM).
After the flooding three years ago this August, the City secured state and federal grants to buy the properties from the homeowners. The process has taken a length of time due to federal guidelines for funding acquisition, as well as requirements for selecting contractors.
"We went through acquisition and relocation of the people that had lived in these houses. And now we're going through, removing asbestos, and then after all the asbestos is removed, we will start on the RACM project. And they will have to remove the whole house," said Loretta Seals, Mystic City Clerk.
Citizens will see changes in the coming weeks.
"We're just taking out the hazardous now, asbestos. And we've got six houses...well three houses, three trailers that we got to do. And we have to sack that and wrap it in plastic and haul it to Ottumwa," said Pearl Seals, the Demolition Monitor.
All wrapped materials will be taken to the landfill in Ottumwa.
Demolition of these structures should take place in early June.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKTVO