Redstone Arsenal (USARMY/NASA)

Overview

Redstone Arsenal is a 38,300-acre active U.S. Army installation southwest of Huntsville, Alabama. It has operated since the early 1940s, producing toxic and incendiary materials during World War II and later shifting to rocket and missile research. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center occupies the central 1,841 acres. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in May 1994.

Contaminants found at the site include arsenic, mercury, perchlorate, trichloroethene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These have been detected in groundwater, soil, sediment, and surface water across multiple areas of the installation. The site faces added complexity from comingled groundwater plumes and Karst geology, a type of terrain with porous limestone that lets water and contaminants move in unpredictable ways.

The Army and NASA lead cleanup, each running separate programs with separate funding, though they coordinate on data and technical matters. EPA serves as the lead regulatory agency. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management is also involved. The site is divided into multiple operable units, or distinct cleanup zones. The Army has completed six Records of Decision, and NASA has completed three. An installation-wide groundwater decision prohibits drinking water use at the Arsenal and controls other groundwater use. Two partial deletions from the National Priorities List have been finalized, most recently in August 2023, meaning those specific areas have been cleaned to a level where they no longer pose a threat. A third partial deletion was expected in March 2025. The most recent five-year review was completed in September 2023.

Current assessments show that human exposure is under control, meaning no unacceptable pathways exist for people to contact contamination right now. However, contaminated groundwater is still migrating and has not been stabilized. Physical cleanup construction is not complete across the full site, and the site is not yet ready for its anticipated future use in all areas. Final remedial action is estimated to begin between September and November 2027, with some groundwater work scheduled through 2028.

Community members can stay involved by reviewing fact sheets, watching for public notices, and attending public meetings that EPA holds throughout the cleanup process. For specific questions, the EPA Remedial Project Manager is Rob Pope, reachable by phone or email. A second EPA contact, Elliott Harrington, is also available for additional questions. The site's Administrative Record is maintained by the U.S. Army and NASA as the lead federal agencies, and the public can contact those agencies or EPA staff to access documents.