Superfund sites and what they mean for your garden
Source: EPA FRS CERCLIS · EPA
14,809 federally tracked locations. Here's how to read them.
What it is
The federal record
The EPA's Superfund program tracks 14,809 sites where confirmed soil and groundwater contamination meets the federal Hazard Ranking System threshold. These are the most severe sites in the federal record — places where contamination has been documented, sampled, and prioritized for cleanup. Two pathways carry contamination from a Superfund site to a garden: groundwater migration, which can move dissolved metals and solvents laterally for hundreds of feet, and direct soil contamination from historic dumping, spills, or airborne deposition. Proximity matters, but proximity alone never tells the whole story.
Key facts
At a glance
Tracked sites
14,809
EPA FRS CERCLIS
Analysis radius
1.2 mi
Growable Ground
Severity tier
Critical
EPA HRS
Why it isn't a verdict
The constructive read
A Superfund site within 1.2 mi is information, not a verdict. Many listed sites have completed remediation and operate under institutional controls that meaningfully reduce active risk. The platform doesn't tell you what you can't grow — it shows you which combinations of bed type, crop family, and water source work in spite of what's nearby. Container gardens with imported clean media bypass the substrate entirely. Raised beds with a geotextile barrier sever the soil-contact pathway. Tree fruits, with deep roots and biological barriers, accumulate far less than leafy greens. The constraint shapes the choice — it doesn't end it.
What to do
The playbook
Start by checking the EPA's site status — remediated sites with institutional controls have a meaningfully different risk profile than active NPL listings. Commission a professional soil test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs before any food production within 1.2 mi. If you irrigate from a private well, test the water source; municipal water is treated and safe. For native-soil planting, lean toward fruiting crops and tree fruits over leafy greens or root crops. Raised beds with imported clean soil and a barrier fabric eliminate the primary pathway entirely — and they work the same week you build them.
Mitigation steps
Concrete moves, in order
- 1Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
- 2Use raised beds with imported clean soil and a geotextile barrier fabric to prevent root contact with native soil.
- 3Test irrigation water source — municipal water is generally safe, but private wells near Superfund sites should be tested.
- 4Check EPA site status — remediated sites with institutional controls may have reduced risk.
- 5Avoid growing root crops or leafy greens in native soil within 0.6 mi of an active NPL site.
Frequently asked questions
How close is too close to a Superfund site?
The platform flags any NPL site within 1.2 mi of your land. Within 0.6 mi, raised beds with imported soil are the right default for soil-contact crops; within 1.2 mi, soil testing is the right starting point. Beyond 1.2 mi, the site's groundwater and airborne pathways are unlikely to reach your land, but local context still matters.
Are remediated Superfund sites safe?
Many are. The EPA tracks site status, and listings under institutional controls represent meaningfully reduced active risk compared with sites still in the cleanup phase. Status checks are the difference between a worry and a fact — start with the EPA's online site lookup before assuming.
What crops are safest near a Superfund site?
Tree fruits and elevated fruiting crops accumulate the least. Leafy greens and root crops face the highest risk because they directly contact or grow within potentially contaminated soil. Raised beds with imported media let any crop work in any setting — they sever the pathway entirely.
See what's near your land
Enter your address. We screen all nine federal contamination sources against your exact location, then read the result alongside soil, sun, and climate.