Environments and Contaminants - Contaminated Lands
Accidents, spills, leaks, and improper disposal and handling of hazardous materials and wastes have resulted in tens of thousands of contaminated sites across the United States where children may play, learn, and live.
On this page:
Indicators
E10: Children living near contaminated sites
Web update: 2025
Key Information
- In 2023, 3.4% of all children in the United States lived within one mile of a contaminated site, defined as a Superfund or Corrective Action site that may not have had all human health protective measures in place.
- In 2023, about 4% of children in families with incomes below the poverty level and about 3% of children in families with incomes at or above the poverty level lived within one mile of the contaminated sites.
Data Characterization
Data on Superfund and Corrective Action sites are reported by EPA and states and compiled in EPA’s databases of information on contaminated sites.
Information for each site includes the site name, state in which the site is located, latitude, longitude, estimated acreage, and site status; for most Superfund sites there is boundary information.
Areas of known or suspected contamination may be less than the total acreage at each site.
E11: Children living near contaminated sites, compared to the general population
Web update: 2025
Key Information
- In 2023, about 48% of children living within one mile of a contaminated site were White, 14% were Black, 7% were Asian, 1% were American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.5% were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 29% were any other race including multiple races. The same year, about 58% of children in the U.S. were White, 14% were Black, 5% were Asian, 1% were American Indian or Alaska Native, less than 0.1% were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 22% were any other race including multiple races.
- In 2023, about 35% of children living within one mile of a contaminated site were Hispanic, while 26% of children in the United States are Hispanic.
Data Characterization
Data on Superfund and Corrective Action sites are reported by EPA and states and compiled in EPA’s databases of information on contaminated sites.
Information for each site includes the site name, state in which the site is located, latitude, longitude, estimated acreage, and site status; for most Superfund sites there is boundary information.
Areas of known or suspected contamination may be less than the total acreage at each site.
About the Contaminated Lands Indicators
Accidents, spills, leaks, and improper disposal and handling of hazardous materials and wastes have resulted in tens of thousands of contaminated sites across the United States. The nature of the contaminants and the hazards they present vary greatly from site to site, but may include chemicals such as lead, asbestos, and perfluorinated compounds, or PFAS. Contaminated soils are a concern if children are playing, attending school, or residing on or near contaminated lands. In addition, contaminated lands may contribute to pollution of water, air, and foods, creating further potential for children’s exposures.
EPA and its partners conduct work on contaminated lands through federally mandated programs such as the Superfund and Corrective Action Programs. The Superfund Program aims to clean up some of the most hazardous and highly polluted legacy sites. The Corrective Action Program aims to control and clean up releases at operating hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. EPA is also responsible for other programs that focus on management of contaminated lands, including Brownfields and underground storage tanks.
For historic and contextual information about contaminated lands and these indicators, see the Contaminated Lands section of America's Children and the Environment, Third Edition (pdf) .
Data Sources and Methods - Contaminated Lands
EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) manages the Corrective Action Program and the Superfund Program and maintains inventories of sites in each program. The Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS) database provides information on Superfund sites, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information (RCRAInfo) database provides information on Corrective Action sites.
Indicator E10 uses the SEMS and RCRAInfo data to present the estimated percentage of children ages 0 to 17 years living within one mile of Superfund or Corrective Action sites that may not have had all human health protective measures in place. Indicator E11 uses the SEMS and RCRAInfo data to present the estimated distribution by race/ethnicity and family income of children living near selected contaminated lands, compared with the distribution by race/ethnicity and income of children in the general U.S. population. To identify land areas in proximity to the selected contaminated lands, a one-mile buffer was drawn around either a circle representing the modeled site area or a site’s boundary when data was available. Data from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates on total child population and population by race/ethnicity and family income level were used to estimate the number of children living within the one-mile buffer boundary.
- Detailed Methods for Indicators E10 and E11 (pdf) and Tables (pdf)
- Metadata for Contaminated Lands: EPA Superfund Program and the RCRA Corrective Action Program Site Information (pdf)
Related Links
- U.S. EPA: Basic Information about the Underground Storage Tank Program
- U.S. EPA: Brownfields and Land Revitalization
- U.S. EPA: Cleanups in My Community
- U.S. EPA: Superfund - Basic Information
- U.S. EPA: Corrective Action Program
- U.S. EPA: Superfund Program – Where you live
- U.S. EPA: Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS)
- U.S. EPA: Wastes - Hazardous Waste