GA / county FIPS 13317 / county research

Wilkes County, Georgia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Wilkes County is 202.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 139 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (61), Rail grade crossing (27), Industrial wastewater discharge (24). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 30 in a million, driven mainly by formaldehyde.

Rates are age-adjusted per 100,000 people. A cancer signal is marked significant when the lower bound of its 95 percent confidence interval is above the U.S. rate. Facility counts use active federal records located inside the county boundary. Approximate county center: 33.7934, -82.7781.

How this county ranks in Georgia

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

Cancer deaths and new cases versus the United States

Source: NCI and CDC State Cancer Profiles, both sexes, all ages. Sorted by the ratio of the county rate to the U.S. rate.

Cancer rates for Wilkes County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	202.2	143.2	1.41xSignificant	170.7 to 238.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	40.3	30.2	1.33x	27.5 to 58.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	58.9	51.8	1.14x	42.5 to 80.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	497	453.4	1.1x	443.3 to 556	2019-2023

Mortality measures versus the U.S. county median

Source: County Health Rankings, built from CDC National Vital Statistics System death records. The comparison value is the median of all U.S. counties.

Mortality measures for Wilkes County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,808.1	9,842.6	+40%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	86.7	96.9	-11%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 30 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde23 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.35 per million
Benzene0.7 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

139 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit61
Rail grade crossing27
Industrial wastewater discharge24
Brownfield property11
Air permit holder (minor source)3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Major air pollution source2
Gas station (mapped facility)2
TRI reporting facility2
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Anthony Forest Products Llc, Washington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formic acid. 3,740 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 30673NTHNY256ED (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Burt Lumber Co, Washington
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058969460 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Anthony Forest Prods, Washington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001388891 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Burt Lumber Co, Washington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058969460 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Berry Global Corporation, Washington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005680012 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Novipax, Washington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069470110 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Georgia Woodlands Railroad Inc., Washington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070016126 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Berry Global Corporation, Washington
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110005680012 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Novipax, Washington
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110069470110 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Berry Global, Inc., Washington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071286204 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Washington, City Of (Rocky Creek Wpcp), Washington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010040749 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
International Paper (Lumber Mill), Washington
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000358764 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Anderson Service Station, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040403676 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Napa Block - Marathon Gas Station, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040403685 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Napa Block - Thornton Auto Parts, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040403694 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Napa Block - The News Reporter & Radio Shack, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040403701 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Michael Thornton Trucking Site, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040403710 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
The Pope Center / Dfacs Facility, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110042231509 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Wilkco Packaging Facility, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043562686 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Vivian Walker Store Site, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043638025 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Vivian Walker Hotel Site, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043638034 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Washington School Site Complex, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043692661 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Napa Block - The Ark, Washington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071970276 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
International Paper (Lumber Mill), Washington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000358764 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Burt Lumber Co, Washington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds.
TRI facility ID 30673WLKSW216BU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Wilkes County

Georgia state cancer registry
Cancer incidence counts by census tract or ZIP code, by cancer type and year (de-identified). Any cancer cluster inquiries or investigations in Wilkes County, and their findings.
Georgia vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Georgia health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Georgia environmental agency and the U.S. EPA regional office
Compliance history, inspection reports, notices of violation, penalties and enforcement actions for each facility above, cited by EPA FRS registry ID.
Georgia drinking water program
Violation notices, sampling results and sanitary surveys for the public water systems serving the county, including any system serving a correctional facility.
Department of corrections or county sheriff
Water testing, grievances and environmental health inspections for the correctional facilities listed above.

Each Envyrofax address report includes a printable records request worksheet with the custodian and the exact request wording per finding.

Scan an address in Wilkes County View on the heat map All Georgia counties