The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center is a 6,500-acre federal research facility in Prince George's County, Maryland. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has operated it since 1910 for research on soil, water, air, and plant and animal sciences. Waste disposal at former landfills and other areas contaminated soil, groundwater, and surface water with hazardous chemicals. The site was added to the National Priorities List in 1994 and has been under active cleanup planning and action ever since.
Contaminants of concern include four chlorinated solvents found in groundwater: 1,1-dichloroethene, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, and trichloroethene. Soil contamination includes Aroclor 1260, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, and lead. PCBs at two locations came from leaking electric transformers. Soil at those spots also contained pesticides, metals, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The greatest health risk comes from ingesting or directly touching these contaminants.
The USDA leads the cleanup, and the EPA oversees compliance with CERCLA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A 1998 Federal Facilities Agreement set the framework for the work. The site is divided into seven operable units. One unit, OU5 at the Beaver Dam Road Landfill, has a completed remedial action using a reactive mulch biowall and monitoring wells, with ongoing land use controls. A Record of Decision for OU1 was issued September 8, 2025. Most other units are still under investigation, with remedial investigation and records of decision expected between late 2027 and early 2028, and remedial action for those areas expected to begin between March and May 2028.
Human exposure is currently under control, meaning assessments show no unacceptable exposure pathways. However, physical construction is still underway across the full site, and groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data. The most recent five-year review was completed July 21, 2023, and the next is scheduled for 2028. A former landfill area has been reused as sports fields, though the site has not yet achieved sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse.
Community members can stay informed by visiting the USDA's site homepage or reviewing documents through the EPA's Superfund site database. The Administrative Record is available online through the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Information Repository and in person at 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Building 003, in Beltsville, Maryland. EPA's Community Involvement Program supports dialogue between the agency, cleanup contractors, and local residents.
