Rapid City, SD
Ellsworth Air Force Base is listed in the EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System with an NPL status of NPL Site and a Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score of 33.62. The site is located in Rapid City, SD. Superfund National Priorities List inclusion is the EPA's formal designation that a contaminated site qualifies for long-term federal cleanup authority under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
EPA Superfund records catalog 54 contaminants associated with this site, documented through the remedial investigation process. Physical construction of the cleanup remedy has been completed, EPA designates this milestone as "Construction Complete."
NPL listing does not, by itself, establish a health risk to nearby residents, it triggers federal authority to investigate, score, and remediate. HRS scores of 28.50 or above qualify a site for the NPL; the ranking weighs contaminant toxicity, release pathways, waste quantity, and affected population. For current site conditions and community health guidance, contact the South Dakota environmental or health agency and the EPA Regional Superfund office listed on the official site profile.
What is the cleanup status of this Superfund site?
Contaminants
| Contaminant | Media |
|---|---|
| 1,1,1-TRICHLOROETHANE | Groundwater |
| 1,1-DICHLOROETHENE | Groundwater |
| 1,2-DICHLOROETHANE | Groundwater |
| 1,2-DICHLOROETHENE (CIS AND TRANS MIXTURE) | Groundwater |
| 1,2-DICHLOROETHENE (CIS AND TRANS MIXTURE) | Soil |
| 1,2-DICHLOROPROPANE | Groundwater |
| 1,4-DICHLOROBENZENE | Groundwater |
| 3-CHLOROANILINE | Groundwater |
| ALDRIN | Groundwater |
| ALPHA-HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANE | Groundwater |
| ANTIMONY | Groundwater |
| ARSENIC | Surface Water |
| BENZENE | Groundwater |
| BENZENE | Soil |
| BENZO[A]PYRENE | Sediment |
| BETA-HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANE | Groundwater |
| BIS(2-CHLOROETHYL)ETHER | Groundwater |
| BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE | Groundwater |
| BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE | Soil |
| CADMIUM | Groundwater |
| CARBON DISULFIDE | Groundwater |
| CHLOROETHENE (VINYL CHLORIDE) | Groundwater |
| CHRYSENE | Soil |
| CIS-1,2-DICHLOROETHENE | Groundwater |
| DIBUTYL PHTHALATE | Groundwater |
| ENDRIN ALDEHYDE | Soil |
| ETHYLBENZENE | Groundwater |
| ETHYLBENZENE | Soil |
| HEPTACHLOR | Groundwater |
| IRON | Surface Water |
| LEAD | Groundwater |
| MANGANESE | Surface Water |
| METHOXYCHLOR | Soil |
| N,N-DIPROPYLNITROUS AMIDE | Groundwater |
| NAPHTHALENE | Soil |
| NICKEL | Groundwater |
| NICKEL | Surface Water |
| PROMETON | Sediment |
| PROMETON | Soil |
| SELENIUM | Groundwater |
| SELENIUM | Surface Water |
| SEMI-VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (SVOC) | Soil |
| TETRACHLOROETHENE | Groundwater |
| TETRACHLOROETHENE | Soil |
| TOLUENE | Groundwater |
| TOLUENE | Soil |
| TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS (TPH) | Groundwater |
| TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS (TPH) | Soil |
| TRICHLOROETHENE | Groundwater |
| TRICHLOROETHENE | Soil |
| VOC | Groundwater |
| VOC | Soil |
| XYLENE (MIXED ISOMERS) | Groundwater |
| XYLENE (MIXED ISOMERS) | Soil |
Location
Other Superfund Sites in South Dakota
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Gilt Edge Mine | NPL Site | 50.00 |
| Whitewood Creek | Deleted NPL Site | - |
| Williams Pipe Line Co. Disposal Pit | Deleted NPL Site | 42.24 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ellsworth Air Force Base Superfund site? ▼
Is Ellsworth Air Force Base dangerous to live near? ▼
What is the HRS score for Ellsworth Air Force Base? ▼
What contaminants are at the Ellsworth Air Force Base site? ▼
What is the cleanup status of Ellsworth Air Force Base? ▼
About Superfund
The National Priorities List (NPL) is the list of sites of national priority among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation.
The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is the principal mechanism the EPA uses to evaluate sites for placement on the NPL. Sites with an HRS score of 28.50 or greater are eligible for the NPL. Higher scores indicate greater potential risk.
The EPA's Superfund cleanup process typically follows these phases: preliminary assessment, site inspection, NPL listing, remedial investigation/feasibility study, remedy selection, remedial design/action, construction completion, post-construction completion, and NPL deletion. Some sites remain on the NPL for decades.
PlainEnviro presents this data without advocacy framing. The presence of a site on the NPL does not by itself indicate an immediate health risk to nearby residents. For site-specific health questions, consult your local environmental or health agency.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.