Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center

⚠ Superfund · Cleanup underway

The United States Navy has the lead role for cleaning up the Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center NPL site.

Location

CityIndian Head
CountyCharles County
StateMaryland
Coordinates38.59139, -77.17431

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 02/01/1982
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 02/13/1995
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 09/29/1995
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 05/31/1997
  5. Remedy Selected — 09/30/2002
  6. Remedial Action Started — 10/01/2005
  7. Construction Completed — Not Yet Achieved
  8. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 08/22/2022
  10. Achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Reuse — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center is a federal Superfund site in Maryland. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Cleanup underway. Active cleanup is underway, meaning EPA has approved a remediation plan and work is in progress. Cleanup timelines vary widely — some sites take decades depending on contamination depth, groundwater involvement, and funding availability.

EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, 1,2-dichloroethane. Contamination has been detected in groundwater, soil, sediment, solid waste.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.