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Superfund Site Evaluation
National Information
EPA Region 4's Site Evaluation program works with states and tribes to assess and prioritize hazardous waste sites for cleanup. We evaluate sites to determine whether they qualify for listing on the National Priorities List (NPL) and consult with states and affected tribes to determine which sites should be listed. Currently, 172 sites in our Region are final or proposed on the NPL and an additional 45 sites have been deleted. While many sites qualify for NPL listing, EPA now only lists sites that are too complex, contentious or expensive for states to address under their own cleanup authorities. Region 4 has referred 357 NPL-caliber sites to states and other entities for cleanup.
Since 1981, EPA Region 4, with the support of our states and tribes, has identified more than 7300 sites. We have determined that 6040 of these sites do not require federal long-term response and we have removed these sites from our active inventory. Currently Region 4 has approximately 415 sites that require assessment.
The Site Assessment process evaluates sites to determine and implement the appropriate responses to releases of hazardous substances to the environment. During the site assessment process, EPA and states collect data to identify, evaluate, and rank hazardous waste sites based on Hazard Ranking System (HRS) criteria.
Once a site is identified--for example, from a citizen petition (PDF: 4pp, 485K) or a state's recommendation--the site undergoes a minimal screening process (pre-screening) to determine whether the CERCLA site assessment process or another option is appropriate. Once a potentially hazardous site is identified as appropriate for the site assessment process, EPA or the state conducts a Preliminary Assessment (PA) and if warranted, a Site Inspection (SI). More in-depth assessment and an HRS package are prepared for the minority of sites that are considered strong candidates for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL).
Site Assessment Process
Describes more in-depth information about the site assessment process and how sites are added to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites.
Region 4 Site Assessment Staff Contacts
Additional Information
Cleanup information for NPL and Sites Using the Superfund Alternative Approach for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, N. Carolina , S. Carolina, and Tennessee.
Search sites database (CERCLIS)
Search for information on sites that have been evaluated by site name, ZIP code, state, and other parameters
Sites proposed to the NPL
Provides information on sites that were recently proposed to be added to the NPL.