EPA Superfund site
INDIAN HEAD NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER
Exposure status: insufficient data
Data limitations: Proximity to a Superfund site boundary does not mean your property is contaminated. EPA site boundaries show the area designated for cleanup, not the full extent of contamination. Groundwater plumes can extend beyond site boundaries. This tool shows publicly available EPA federal data. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by EPA, and is not a substitute for a professional environmental assessment.
About this site's exposure pathways
As of April 2026, Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center Superfund site is considered “Insufficient Data to make a Human Exposure evaluation” (HEID) because of a newly identified potential exposure pathway. There is potential for a vapor intrusion exposure pathway for chlorinated solvents at Site 57 buildings. A vapor intrusion investigation was recommended for these buildings in the third Five-Year Review issued in 2018. Little progress had occurred on executing the vapor intrusion investigation at the time of the fourth Five-Year Review finalized as an addendum in March 2024. EPA uses this Human Exposure status when there is a lack of evidence to suggest that actual or reasonably anticipated human exposures are occurring and that those exposures are above acceptable levels. The planned activities to collect sufficient information to make a human exposure evaluation are completing a vapor intrusion investigation which includes near slab vapor sampling, indoor air sampling, and ambient air sampling. EPA currently anticipates that there will be sufficient data to make a Human Exposure determination by June 2027. The vapor intrusion investigation fieldwork took place in March 2024, and the analytical results and data analysis are pending. The Navy is the lead agency at the site and is conducting cleanup under EPA oversight.