EPA Superfund Sites Map
The EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL) identifies the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the United States. This interactive map plots all 1,840+ NPL sites, letting you filter by cleanup status, zoom to any state, and search by name.
Explore EPA Superfund Sites Across the US
Each dot on the map represents a site on the National Priorities List. Red dots are active NPL sites currently undergoing assessment or cleanup, orange dots are proposed sites under review, and green dots are sites that have been deleted from the list following successful remediation. Click any marker for the site name, location, EPA region, HRS score, key dates, and a direct link to the EPA site profile.
How to Use the Superfund Sites Map
Filtering by Status
Use the Status checkboxes to show only Active NPL sites, Proposed sites, or Deleted sites. You can combine multiple filters — for example, checking both Active and Proposed shows all sites that are either on the list or under consideration. Leave all boxes unchecked to see every site regardless of status.
Filtering by State
The State dropdown lets you zoom your view to a single state’s NPL sites. Select any state from the list to instantly filter the map to only those sites. The site count updates to reflect how many sites are currently visible.
Searching by Site Name
Type any part of a site name into the Search box to find a specific location. The map filters in real time as you type, making it easy to locate a known site even if you only remember part of the name.
Reading Popups
Click any marker to open a pop-up with the site’s full name, cleanup status, city and county, EPA ID, EPA region, Hazard Ranking System score, proposed and listing dates, construction completion date (where applicable), deletion date for removed sites, and a link to the EPA site profile for detailed remediation records.
Understanding the EPA Superfund National Priorities List
What Is a Superfund Site?
A Superfund site is a location contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants that poses a risk to human health or the environment. The term “Superfund” comes from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), enacted by Congress in 1980, which established a federal program and trust fund to clean up the nation’s most hazardous waste sites. The National Priorities List is the official roster of the most serious sites eligible for long-term remedial action funded under CERCLA. Landfills are among the most common site types on the NPL; our North American Landfills Map covers over 8,400 waste sites across the continent.
How Sites Are Added to the NPL
A site typically reaches the NPL through one of three pathways: scoring high enough on the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) evaluation, being designated as the state’s top priority by its governor, or meeting specific criteria under the Dioxin Emergency Response program. The EPA first proposes a site for listing in the Federal Register, accepts public comments, and then issues a final listing decision. From initial identification to final listing can take several years.
The Hazard Ranking System Score
The HRS is the primary screening tool EPA uses to evaluate sites for NPL placement. It scores a site on a scale of 0 to 100 based on the likelihood that hazardous substances have been released or could be released from the site, the characteristics of those substances, and the number of people or sensitive environments potentially affected. A score of 28.50 or above generally qualifies a site for NPL listing. HRS scores are visible in each site’s popup on this map. Soil contamination pathways are a key factor in HRS scoring; our USA Soil Map lets you explore SSURGO soil classifications across the country.
Cleanup Process and Site Deletion
Once listed, a Superfund site goes through a multi-phase remedial process: preliminary assessment, site inspection, remedial investigation, feasibility study, remedial design, and remedial action (cleanup). After all cleanup goals have been achieved and no further response is needed, EPA can propose deleting a site from the NPL. A site can be partially deleted — removing the cleaned-up portions while retaining the rest on the list — or fully deleted. Sites shown in green on this map have completed this process and been removed from the NPL.
EPA Superfund Sites by Region and State
Superfund sites are not evenly distributed across the US. The Northeast and Great Lakes industrial corridor accounts for a disproportionate share of active NPL listings, reflecting the region’s long manufacturing history. New Jersey consistently ranks among the states with the highest number of NPL sites, followed by Pennsylvania, California, and New York. EPA manages the program through ten regional offices, each with responsibility for sites within their geographic area. The region number is displayed in each site’s popup.
States With the Highest Site Counts
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California have historically led in total NPL site listings. Industrial activity, mining operations, and military base contamination are the primary drivers. Use the State filter on the map to compare site density and status distribution across any state.
EPA Regions
The ten EPA regions each oversee Superfund cleanup within their boundaries. Region 2 (New York/New Jersey) and Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic) manage the largest concentrations of active sites. Regions covering the less industrialised interior states generally have fewer NPL listings, though mining-related contamination is significant in parts of the Mountain West.
Data Sources and Limitations
Site data is drawn from the EPA’s Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS) via the EPA ArcGIS Feature Service for NPL sites with status information. The dataset includes all sites that have been proposed, listed, or deleted from the NPL. Key dates (proposed, listing, construction completion, deletion) and HRS scores are sourced directly from SEMS records.
Note that a small number of sites may have incomplete coordinate or date information in the source data, causing them to be excluded from the map. Data is loaded in real time from the EPA’s public API and reflects the current state of the SEMS database. For official regulatory purposes, always consult the EPA’s official NPL site list directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean if a site is “Proposed”?
A proposed site has been evaluated by the EPA and found to meet the criteria for NPL listing, but the formal listing process is not yet complete. The EPA has published a notice in the Federal Register proposing to add the site, and a public comment period is open or recently closed. Proposed sites are shown in orange on the map.
What does it mean if a site has been “Deleted”?
Deletion means the EPA has determined that no further remedial action is required at the site under CERCLA. This typically means cleanup goals have been met, contamination levels are below health-based thresholds, and the site no longer poses an unacceptable risk. Deletion does not necessarily mean the site is completely free of contamination — some deleted sites have institutional controls or monitoring requirements in place. Deleted sites are shown in green.
What is the HRS score in the popup?
The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is a numerical measure of the relative risk a site poses to human health and the environment. Scores range from 0 to 100. Sites that score 28.50 or higher are generally eligible for NPL listing. A higher score indicates greater estimated risk, though HRS scores are screening tools rather than precise risk assessments.
How current is the data on this map?
The map pulls data live from the EPA’s public ArcGIS Feature Service, which is maintained by EPA’s SEMS database. The data reflects the most recent published updates from EPA. For newly proposed or recently deleted sites, there may be a short lag between the Federal Register publication and the SEMS data being updated.
How do I find more information about a specific site?
Click the site marker to open its popup, then follow the EPA Site Profile link. This takes you directly to the site’s page in SEMS, where you can find the full remedial history, operable units, contaminants of concern, responsible parties, and links to all Federal Register notices.
Why are some sites clustered together?
At lower zoom levels, nearby markers are grouped into numbered cluster circles to keep the map readable. The number indicates how many sites are in that cluster. Click a cluster to zoom in and see individual sites, or zoom in manually using the map controls.
What types of contamination are found at Superfund sites?
Common contaminants include chlorinated solvents (TCE, PCE) from industrial cleaning operations, heavy metals from mining and smelting, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from electrical equipment, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, and radioactive materials at former nuclear facilities or weapons production sites. The specific contaminants at each site are documented in the site’s SEMS record. Many of the same industrial operations that generate Superfund-level contamination also report to national pollutant release inventories; our North America Pollutant Release Facilities Map plots over 35,000 facilities across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Are there Superfund sites near me?
Use the map to zoom to your area or use the State filter to narrow results. You can also type a known site name or partial name into the Search box. For a more localised search, the EPA also provides a zip code-based search tool on its official Superfund website. Contamination at nearby sites can also affect local air quality; our Global Air Quality Map shows live PM2.5 readings from thousands of monitoring stations across the US.
What is the difference between a Superfund site and a Brownfield?
Superfund sites (NPL sites) are the most seriously contaminated locations in the US and are managed under CERCLA with federal cleanup authority. Brownfields are properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived contamination, but they do not necessarily meet the threshold for NPL listing. Many brownfields are cleaned up under state voluntary cleanup programs rather than federal Superfund authority.
