Ellsworth Air Force Base

NPL Site
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Rapid City, SD

According to the EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System, Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, SD is listed with NPL status NPL Site. Its Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 33.62. The public extract catalogs 54 contaminant records for this site. EPA marks construction of the cleanup remedy as complete. NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation, not a measured health-risk score.

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Superfund National Priorities List inclusion (status and HRS score shown above) 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 (CERCLA). A federal-facility classification means the site is owned or operated by a federal agency, which routes cleanup responsibility differently than a privately owned site.

"Construction Complete" (status shown above) is an EPA milestone marking that the physical remedy work is finished, not that the site has exited EPA oversight; long-term monitoring can continue afterward. Deletion from the NPL is a separate, later step the EPA takes only once it determines every planned response action is finished.

NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation in the EPA record, not a quantitative health-risk score. HRS scores of 28.50 or above qualify a site for the NPL under the EPA screening model (toxicity, pathways, waste quantity, and affected population factors). For current site conditions and official community notices, see the EPA Regional Superfund profile and the South Dakota environmental agency.

What is the cleanup status of this Superfund site?

NPL Status
NPL Site
Federal Facility
No
Construction Complete
Yes
HRS Score
33.62
Deleted from NPL
No

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

City
Rapid City
Coordinates
44.1481, -103.0958

Other Superfund Sites in South Dakota

Site Name Status HRS Score
Gilt Edge Mine NPL Site 50.00
Whitewood Creek Deleted NPL Site 0.00
Williams Pipe Line Co. Disposal Pit Deleted NPL Site 42.24

How does this site's HRS score compare in South Dakota?

Of the 4 South Dakota Superfund sites with a scored Hazard Ranking System (HRS) evaluation, Ellsworth Air Force Base ranks #3 by score (33.62).

Either side of it: Gilt Edge Mine (50.00), Williams Pipe Line Co. Disposal Pit (42.24), Whitewood Creek (0.00)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ellsworth Air Force Base Superfund site?
Ellsworth Air Force Base is an active National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund site located in Rapid City, SD. It has a Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score of 33.62 (rank #3 of 4 scored South Dakota sites). Superfund sites are contaminated locations identified by the EPA for long-term cleanup under CERCLA.
What does NPL listing mean for Ellsworth Air Force Base?
According to the EPA, National Priorities List (NPL) listing designates a site for long-term federal Superfund cleanup authority. It is a programmatic status in the Superfund Enterprise Management System, not a quantitative health-risk score for nearby residents. EPA records mark construction of the cleanup remedy as complete at this site. Site-specific conditions and community guidance are published by EPA Regional Superfund offices and the relevant state environmental agency.
What is the HRS score for Ellsworth Air Force Base?
Ellsworth Air Force Base's Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 33.62, placing it #3 of 4 South Dakota Superfund sites with a scored HRS evaluation. Sites with a score of 28.50 or greater qualify for the NPL; the model weighs contaminant toxicity, waste quantity, release likelihood, and affected population, and is not a community health diagnosis.
What contaminants are at the Ellsworth Air Force Base site?
The EPA public Superfund extract catalogs 54 contaminants at Ellsworth Air Force Base, documented through the remedial investigation process. Counts reflect listed records in that extract, not a complete inventory of every substance ever present.
What is the cleanup status of Ellsworth Air Force Base?
Ellsworth Air Force Base is currently NPL Site on the National Priorities List. Construction of the cleanup remedy has been completed. The EPA Superfund cleanup process includes phases from preliminary assessment through post-construction completion.

NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation in the EPA record, not a quantitative health-risk score. See Superfund Sites Explained for how the National Priorities List, Hazard Ranking System, and cleanup phases work.

Related

Data sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro