Total Sites
25,103
9 federal databases
Severity Density
0.89
Severity-weighted sites per sq mi
High-Severity Sites
362
Superfund NPL, PFAS detections + similar top-tier records
Data Sources
EPA, USGS
9 databases checked
Source Breakdown
Top Counties in Kentucky
Jefferson County carries Kentucky's densest documented record — 10.13 severity-weighted sites per square mile across 2,933 records, most commonly Underground Storage Tanks, including 39 high-severity sites. Density describes the county's record, not any single parcel.
| County | Sites | Density | Dominant Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | 2,933 | 10.13 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Fayette | 978 | 4.41 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Kenton | 400 | 3.40 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Marshall | 549 | 3.02 | Nitrate |
| McCracken | 500 | 2.65 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Boyd | 292 | 2.48 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Boone | 433 | 2.41 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Campbell | 266 | 2.33 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Calloway | 472 | 2.10 | Nitrate |
| Letcher | 389 | 1.91 | Nitrate |
Jefferson
Sites
3K
Density
10.1
Source
Underground Storage TanksFayette
Sites
978
Density
4.4
Source
Underground Storage TanksKenton
Sites
400
Density
3.4
Source
Underground Storage TanksMarshall
Sites
549
Density
3.0
Source
NitrateMcCracken
Sites
500
Density
2.6
Source
Underground Storage TanksBoyd
Sites
292
Density
2.5
Source
Underground Storage TanksBoone
Sites
433
Density
2.4
Source
Underground Storage TanksCampbell
Sites
266
Density
2.3
Source
Underground Storage TanksCalloway
Sites
472
Density
2.1
Source
NitrateLetcher
Sites
389
Density
1.9
Source
NitrateAgricultural Pesticide Use in Kentucky
In the 2019 federal survey estimates, Kentucky's most-applied agricultural pesticides statewide were Glyphosate, Atrazine and Metolachlor & Metolachlor-S. These estimates describe agricultural land use across the state — context for what's in use around the region, not a reading on any garden's soil.
Pesticide data: USGS NAWQA Pesticide National Synthesis Project (EPest county-level use estimates). Latest available county estimates: 2019.
County-Level Detail in Kentucky
The federal record isn't uniform across a state. Here's what's documented around Kentucky's counties with the densest records — each read from that county's own sites, not the state average. Proximity is information, not a diagnosis; a soil test settles any near neighbor.
Is It Safe to Grow Food in Jefferson County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around Jefferson County — 2,933 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track, 39 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 34 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Jefferson County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 2,933 documented sites, most of them underground storage tanks. That's a record of the area's history, not a verdict on any one yard: proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis. Before food beds go in, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with — and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Documented sites nearest the Jefferson County center
- Tin Inc Dba Temple-Inland — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.1 km from the county center
- Inland Containers — Toxic Release Inventory · ~0.3 km from the county center
- International Paper Company — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.5 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to Jefferson County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own Kentucky parcel to see what's actually near you.
Check an Address in Kentucky
Read your Kentucky parcel
See exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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