Definition

Noun: A Superfund site is a location within the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and has been placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This designation means the site is eligible for long-term federal funding and oversight for environmental cleanup and remediation.

Examples of Usage

• The old chemical plant was declared a Superfund site after decades of industrial waste contaminated the local groundwater.
• Cleaning up a Superfund site is a complex and often very expensive process that can take many years.
• Residents living near the Superfund site were concerned about potential health risks from the pollution.

Advanced Usage

• "To be listed as a Superfund site": This phrase describes the official action of the EPA adding a contaminated location to the National Priorities List.
  • The abandoned mine was listed as a Superfund site in 2020.
• "Superfund site cleanup": This compound term refers specifically to the remediation activities at such a location.
  • The Superfund site cleanup is projected to cost over $100 million.

Variants and Related Words

• Superfund (Proper Noun): The common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, the U.S. federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances.
• Brownfield (Noun): A former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination. Not all brownfields are Superfund sites; Superfund sites represent the most severely contaminated locations.
• NPL Site (Noun): National Priorities List site; this is the official term synonymous with "Superfund site."

Synonyms

• Contaminated site
• Hazardous waste site (This is a more general term; a Superfund site is a specific type of federally designated hazardous waste site.)
• Toxic waste dump

Related Phrases

• To be designated a Superfund site: This is the formal process of identification and listing.
  • The landfill was designated a Superfund site after extensive testing.
• Superfund program: Refers to the entire system established by CERCLA, including the trust fund (the "Superfund") used to pay for cleanups when responsible parties cannot be found or cannot pay.
  • The Superfund program is administered by the EPA.

Noun

1. a site where toxic wastes have been dumped and the Environmental Protection Agency has designated them to be cleaned up