Little Scioto River

⚠ Superfund · Cleanup underway

For OU1 EPA’s remedy for the Little Scioto River portion of the Superfund site, known as Operable Unit 1, or OU1, was published in the 2016 OU1 Record of Decision, and it was expanded in the 2021 Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) (pdf) (5.13 MB).

Location

CityMarion County
CountyMarion County
StateOhio
Coordinates40.59306, -83.18346

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 11/02/2006
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 04/09/2009
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 09/23/2009
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 07/09/2009
  5. Remedy Selected — 06/17/2016
  6. Remedial Action Started — 09/28/2022
  7. Final Remedial Action Started — Estimated Mar - May 2028
  8. Construction Completed — Estimated Jul - Sep 2028
  9. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Most Recent Five-Year Review — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Little Scioto River is a federal Superfund site in Ohio. 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'-biphenyl, 1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene, 1-methylnaphthalene. Contamination has been detected in soil, sediment.

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.