Electrical Transformers Pulled from River in Iowa

Authorities say a hazardous materials crews pulled five discarded electrical transformers out of the Boone River near Webster City over the weekend.

Officials say they assume the transformers were stolen because they were stripped of copper wire and then dumped in the river. The Messenger newspaper in Fort Dodge says a man working in his yard near the river spotted the equipment on Sunday. The river is running only about 2 feet deep in the area.

Authorities say some oil from the transformers was found on a sand bar, and the hazmat team put a boom across the river to collect it. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will dispose of the transformers and the booms.