What is a Superfund Site?

A Superfund site is a toxic site which has been placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), a list of polluted sites requiring cleanup which is maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Placement on the NPL makes a Superfund site eligible for government-sponsored cleanup, or government assistance with cleanup. It also allows the EPA to put pressure on the responsible party to pay for or assist with cleanup. Over 1,000 Superfund sites have been identified around the United States, and there is a constant queue of sites which are being considered by the EPA for listing on the NPL.

The Superfund was established in 1980 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Act was passed in response to numerous notable releases of pollution around the United States. Before CERCLA, it could sometimes be difficult to enforce cleanup action, and responsible parties or companies might escape punishment or responsibility for the site. CERCLA set up a system for cleaning up environmental disasters, and provided funding to support it.

The first step in listing a location as a Superfund site is alerting the EPA. Anyone from citizens to EPA investigators can notify the EPA about a toxic site which requires further investigation. The EPA sends out staff to evaluate the site, and decides whether or not it qualifies as a Superfund site. If the site qualifies, it is added to the NPL, and if not the EPA typically explains why. The NPL is a public document, meaning that any citizen can access it to get information about Superfund sites. It is a good idea to check out the NPL before moving to a new home, because Superfund sites pop up in surprisingly places, and they can contain some nasty pollutants.

Once a site has qualified as a Superfund, it means that the EPA has some legal clout to find the party responsible for the pollution and enforce legal consequences. If a company is unable to fund cleanup because it is bankrupt, the EPA has a pool of funds available to get the Superfund site cleaned up and reusable. Environmental cleanup can take a long time, and it is open to public comment so that concerned members of the community can have some input on how and when a site is cleaned up.

Access to Superfund sites is usually tightly controlled because of the health risks, and such sites may be clearly labeled with signs indicating that they are toxic. Professional cleanup crews deal with these sites on an individual basis, since each one is unique and as cleanup proceeds, new toxins and problems may be identified. Once the toxins have been removed or neutralized, the EPA delists the site, indicating that it is safe for use again.

A Superfund site is a designated area that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as requiring cleanup because it poses a risk to human health or the environment. The term originates from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, which created a "Superfund" to finance the cleanup of these sites.

As of the latest data, there are over 1,300 Superfund sites on the National Priorities List (NPL) in the United States. This list is dynamic, with sites being added or removed as they are discovered or cleaned up. The EPA continuously monitors these sites to ensure that they are addressed appropriately.

A site typically becomes a Superfund site due to contamination from hazardous substances that were improperly managed or disposed of. This can include manufacturing spills, leaking storage tanks, or illegal dumping. The contamination could involve a variety of harmful substances like lead, asbestos, dioxins, or radioactive materials that pose significant risks to the environment and public health.

Cleanup of a Superfund site follows a rigorous process that begins with a site assessment and may include removing contaminated soil, treating water, containing waste, and monitoring the environment. The EPA works with responsible parties to fund and perform the cleanup, using Superfund money as a last resort. The goal is to reduce the pollutants to levels that protect human health and the environment.

The cost of cleaning up a Superfund site is ideally paid for by the parties responsible for the contamination. When those parties cannot be found or are unable to pay, the Superfund itself, financed through various taxes and appropriations, covers the costs. The EPA seeks to recover these expenses from the responsible parties whenever possible.

Yes, once a Superfund site is cleaned up, it can often be reused or repurposed. The EPA supports the redevelopment of these sites through its Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, which has seen many former Superfund sites transformed into parks, business centers, wildlife habitats, and residential areas, contributing to community revitalization and economic growth.