What is a Superfund site?
“Superfund” is a U.S. EPA program for identifying and cleaning up certain contaminated locations.
Some sites are actively being remediated, some are under long-term monitoring, and some have been substantially cleaned up.
The key idea: Superfund sites are officially tracked locations where contamination was serious enough to require structured oversight.
Does living near one mean it’s unsafe?
Not necessarily. Two homes the same distance from a site can have very different real-world exposure.
What matters most is pathways (how contaminants could reach people) and the site’s current status.
- Distance is a useful signal, but it’s not the full story.
- Cleanup status varies widely — many sites are controlled or contained.
- Exposure pathways can differ (air, water, soil), and may be mitigated by infrastructure and remediation.
If you’re making a housing decision, it’s reasonable to use proximity as a prompt to learn more — without jumping to conclusions.
How AirScore uses Superfund proximity
AirScore blends multiple public-data signals to give a clearer “big picture” view of environmental context at an address.
Superfund proximity is one factor — alongside long-term particulate pollution (PM2.5), industrial emitters, airports, traffic, and live AQI.
- Distance to the nearest Superfund site
- Count of sites within a local radius (where available)
- Combined with air metrics that often track long-term exposure patterns
Want details? See How it works.
What you can do (practical, calm steps)
If your score is lower than you expected, the most controllable lever is usually indoor air.
We keep this page neutral and focused on practical steps.
See practical steps to reduce exposure →
