Environmental Reporti

Factories, refineries, and other industrial facilities that use or store hazardous chemicals are required to report their releases annually to the EPA. Being listed here does not mean a violation occurred — it means the facility is transparently tracking its chemical usage.

Under the Clean Water Act, any facility that discharges wastewater or stormwater into rivers, lakes, or streams must hold an NPDES permit. "Effective" means the permit is currently active and the facility is authorized to discharge under its permit conditions.

Former industrial or commercial properties where contamination has been found. "Remedy Complete" means cleanup is finished. "Construction Complete" means cleanup infrastructure is built but monitoring continues. "In Progress" means the site is still being investigated or cleaned up.

Superfund sites are the nation's most seriously contaminated locations. They are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) and receive long-term federal cleanup funding. Most communities have none.

Underground storage tanks (commonly at gas stations) can leak fuel and chemicals into soil and groundwater. "Open" means the leak is still being investigated or cleaned up. "Closed" means the site received a No Further Remediation (NFR) letter — cleanup is done.