Maxey Flats Nuclear Disposal

⚠ Superfund · Construction complete

The most recent Five Year Review was published by EPA HQs in 2017. The remedy at MFDS is protective ofhuman health and the environment in the short-term, because remedial activities completed to date have adequately addressed all exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks at MFDS.

Location

CityHillsboro
CountyFleming County
StateKentucky
Coordinates38.26080, -83.56920

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 02/01/1980
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 10/15/1984
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 06/10/1986
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 03/24/1987
  5. Final Remedy Selected — 09/30/1991
  6. Remedial Action Started — 08/15/1996
  7. Final Remedial Action Started — 10/24/2014
  8. Construction Completed — 04/19/2018
  9. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 08/11/2022

EPA references

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Maxey Flats Nuclear Disposal is a federal Superfund site in Kentucky. 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: Construction complete. Physical construction of the cleanup remedy is complete, though long-term monitoring and institutional controls typically continue for years or decades. Groundwater treatment systems, for example, often run long after surface cleanup finishes.

EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,2-dichloroethane, arsenic, americium-241. Contamination has been detected in buildings/structures, groundwater, solid waste, leachate.

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.