Superfund Site Assessment Program

Who to Contact

Remediation Section
(402) 471-4210

The Superfund Site Assessment Program identifies, assesses and characterizes sites where hazardous substances are known or suspected to pose a threat to public health and/or the environment. Currently, the sites investigated in Nebraska consist primarily of areas where groundwater contamination has been detected in municipal and private drinking water supply wells or where there is a significant potential for groundwater contamination.

Assessment Steps

The first site assessment step is called a pre-CERCLA screening (PCS) assessment. This step is a review of existing information on a potential site to determine whether a release has occurred that should be evaluated further through the Superfund process.

The next site assessment step is called a preliminary assessment. This step involves the collection of background information such as property ownership, operational history, geology/hydrogeology, and performing a site reconnaissance.

The third step is called a site investigation, which involves sampling environmental media, such as soil and groundwater. In some situations, the preliminary assessment step and the site investigation step are combined. For large and/or complex sites, an expanded site investigation may also be performed to collect additional soil and groundwater samples to further define the extent of contamination.

In addition, some sites that have been investigated in the past may be reassessed if new information is obtained that indicates that a threat to public health and/or the environment may exist.