Memphis Defense Depot Dla

⚠ Superfund · Ready for anticipated reuse

EPA and TDEC have addressed site contamination under both the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Superfund. Since early 2005, all activities have taken place under the authority of the Superfund program.

Location

CityMemphis
CountyShelby County
StateTennessee
Coordinates35.09333, -90.00333

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 09/30/1990
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 02/07/1992
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 10/14/1992
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 01/11/1994
  5. Remedy Selected — 05/01/1996
  6. Final Remedy Selected — 03/19/2009
  7. Remedial Action Started — 01/29/1998
  8. Construction Completed — 05/10/2010
  9. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 01/24/2023

EPA references

Other Superfund sites in Shelby County

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Memphis Defense Depot Dla is a federal Superfund site in Tennessee. 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: Ready for anticipated reuse. EPA considers this site ready for anticipated reuse, meaning cleanup has progressed enough for certain land uses. This does not necessarily mean all contamination has been removed — institutional controls like deed restrictions may limit how the land can be used.

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

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.