Michigan Study Finds 26,886 U.S. Parks Near Superfund Sites, With 2,000 Overlapping
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 7
Michigan Study Finds 26,886 U.S. Parks Near Superfund Sites, With 2,000 Overlapping
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 7
Summary
26,886 U.S. public parks—nearly 18% of 151,366 mapped sites—sit within 2 miles of an EPA Superfund site, and more than 2,000 physically overlap one, a University of Michigan preprint found.
Over half of all parks were also within 2 miles of a Toxics Release Inventory site, and at least 63 shared property with one, broadening the exposure picture beyond the Superfund program.
The researchers used Trust for Public Land's 2024 ParkServe data and EPA pollution databases, arguing parks should not be treated as a uniform public-health benefit when toxic sites can sit beside or inside them.
Colorado had the largest total park area overlapping Superfund sites, while only five states—Arkansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wyoming—had no park land overlapping any such site.
The team said the analysis still does not identify specific pollutants or model factors such as wind and topography, leaving future work to assess localized health risks and trade-offs.