Total Sites
45,236
9 federal databases
Severity Density
1.27
Severity-weighted sites per sq mi
High-Severity Sites
753
Superfund NPL, PFAS detections + similar top-tier records
Data Sources
EPA, USGS
9 databases checked
Source Breakdown
Top Counties in North Carolina
New Hanover County carries North Carolina's densest documented record — 8.22 severity-weighted sites per square mile across 1,098 records, most commonly Underground Storage Tanks, including 23 high-severity sites. Density describes the county's record, not any single parcel.
| County | Sites | Density | Dominant Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover | 1,098 | 8.22 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Mecklenburg | 3,196 | 8.13 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Guilford | 2,562 | 5.10 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Forsyth | 1,463 | 4.63 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Durham | 1,002 | 4.57 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Wake | 2,449 | 3.87 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Gaston | 1,006 | 3.83 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Catawba | 1,090 | 3.52 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Cabarrus | 647 | 2.42 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Lee | 420 | 2.39 | Underground Storage Tanks |
New Hanover
Sites
1K
Density
8.2
Source
Underground Storage TanksMecklenburg
Sites
3K
Density
8.1
Source
Underground Storage TanksGuilford
Sites
3K
Density
5.1
Source
Underground Storage TanksForsyth
Sites
1K
Density
4.6
Source
Underground Storage TanksDurham
Sites
1K
Density
4.6
Source
Underground Storage TanksWake
Sites
2K
Density
3.9
Source
Underground Storage TanksGaston
Sites
1K
Density
3.8
Source
Underground Storage TanksCatawba
Sites
1K
Density
3.5
Source
Underground Storage TanksCabarrus
Sites
647
Density
2.4
Source
Underground Storage TanksLee
Sites
420
Density
2.4
Source
Underground Storage TanksAgricultural Pesticide Use in North Carolina
In the 2019 federal survey estimates, North Carolina's most-applied agricultural pesticides statewide were Glyphosate, 2,4-D and Atrazine. 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 North Carolina
The federal record isn't uniform across a state. Here's what's documented around North Carolina'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 New Hanover County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around New Hanover County — 1,098 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track, 23 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 17 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
New Hanover County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 1,098 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 New Hanover County center
- Nc-732 — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.4 km from the county center
- Tidal Market — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.4 km from the county center
- Crown Point Marine — Underground Storage Tanks · ~1.3 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to New Hanover County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own North Carolina parcel to see what's actually near you.
Is It Safe to Grow Food in Mecklenburg County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around Mecklenburg County — 3,196 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track, 45 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 43 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Mecklenburg County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 3,196 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 Mecklenburg County center
- 1830 Industrial Park — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.2 km from the county center
- Eckerd Corp. — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.2 km from the county center
- Eckerd Drug Co — Brownfields · ~0.2 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to Mecklenburg County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own North Carolina parcel to see what's actually near you.
Check an Address in North Carolina
Read your North Carolina 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:
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