Total Sites
17,312
9 federal databases
Severity Density
0.97
Severity-weighted sites per sq mi
High-Severity Sites
154
Superfund NPL, PFAS detections + similar top-tier records
Data Sources
EPA, USGS
9 databases checked
Source Breakdown
Top Counties in West Virginia
Jefferson County carries West Virginia's densest documented record — 6.46 severity-weighted sites per square mile across 756 records, most commonly Nitrate, including 9 high-severity sites. Density describes the county's record, not any single parcel.
| County | Sites | Density | Dominant Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | 756 | 6.46 | Nitrate |
| Ohio | 347 | 3.84 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Hancock | 191 | 3.11 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Berkeley | 634 | 3.00 | Nitrate |
| Brooke | 193 | 2.93 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Cabell | 646 | 2.72 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Monongalia | 667 | 2.39 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Wood | 675 | 2.18 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Kanawha | 1,552 | 2.13 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Morgan | 273 | 2.07 | Nitrate |
Jefferson
Sites
756
Density
6.5
Source
NitrateOhio
Sites
347
Density
3.8
Source
Underground Storage TanksHancock
Sites
191
Density
3.1
Source
Underground Storage TanksBerkeley
Sites
634
Density
3.0
Source
NitrateBrooke
Sites
193
Density
2.9
Source
Underground Storage TanksCabell
Sites
646
Density
2.7
Source
Underground Storage TanksMonongalia
Sites
667
Density
2.4
Source
Underground Storage TanksWood
Sites
675
Density
2.2
Source
Underground Storage TanksKanawha
Sites
2K
Density
2.1
Source
Underground Storage TanksMorgan
Sites
273
Density
2.1
Source
NitrateAgricultural Pesticide Use in West Virginia
In the 2019 federal survey estimates, West Virginia's most-applied agricultural pesticides statewide were Glyphosate, 2,4-D and Triclopyr. 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 West Virginia
The federal record isn't uniform across a state. Here's what's documented around West Virginia'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 — 756 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track, 9 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 7 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 — 756 documented sites, most of them nitrate. 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
- Jef-0245 — Nitrate · ~0.1 km from the county center
- 7-Eleven # 34688 — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.1 km from the county center
- Dollar General Store #11913 — Brownfields · ~0.2 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 West Virginia parcel to see what's actually near you.
Check an Address in West Virginia
Read your West Virginia 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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