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Bladen County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Bladen County is 173.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 178 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (51), Rail grade crossing (45), Air permit holder (minor source) (20). 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: 34.6115, -78.5689.

How this county ranks in North Carolina

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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 Bladen County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	10.7	6.6	1.62xSignificant	6.8 to 16.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	48.1	30.2	1.59xSignificant	39.8 to 57.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24	17.9	1.34x	17.8 to 32	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	64.7	51.8	1.25xSignificant	55.1 to 75.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	173.6	143.2	1.21xSignificant	157 to 191.8	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.8	8.7	1.13x	6.3 to 15.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	458.8	453.4	1.01x	429.9 to 489.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.9	18.5	0.91x	11.7 to 24.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	11.6	13	0.89x	6.5 to 19.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	21.2	23.8	0.89x	15 to 29.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	11.3	13.9	0.81x	7.2 to 17.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	8.7	11.3	0.77x	5.5 to 13.7	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	9.7	14.5	0.67x	5.9 to 15.5	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	11.2	18.7	0.6x	7.2 to 17	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 Bladen County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	16,587.9	9,842.6	+69%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	70.3	75.3	-7%	years
Child mortality	93.8	59.8	+57%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.7	6.2	+40%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	153.4	96.9	+58%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	67.5	28.6	+136%	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.

Formaldehyde18.48 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.95 per million
Acetaldehyde1.84 per million
Benzene0.72 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit51
Rail grade crossing45
Air permit holder (minor source)20
Solar power plant14
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
Public airport7
TRI reporting facility6
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Heliport2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Major air pollution source1
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Oil-fired power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Smithfield Packing Company Incorporated - Tar Heel, Tar Heel
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $35,797.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007377338 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Chemours Co - Fayetteville Works, Fayetteville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Toluene, Hydrogen fluoride and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 526,039 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28302DPNTFHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Dupont Fayetteville, Fayetteville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Vinyl fluoride. Reports carcinogens. 539,614 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2830WDPNTF22654 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.9
Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp - Tar Heel, Tar Heel
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Chlorine dioxide. 19,318,538 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28392CRLNFHWY87 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Smithfield Packing Company Incorporated - Tar Heel, Tar Heel
Major air pollution source. Penalties $35,797.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007377338 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Kuraray America-Fayetteville, Fayetteville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Butyraldehyde, Methanol, Ethylene glycol. 241,399 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2830WKRRYM22824 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Smithfield Packing Company Incorporated - Tar Heel, Tar Heel
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $35,797.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007377338 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Specialty Product Technologies, Elizabethtown
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $1,013.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009858261 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Specialty Product Technologies, Elizabethtown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,013.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009858261 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Smithfield Packing Company Incorporated - Tar Heel, Tar Heel
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $35,797.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007377338 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Dupont Company - Fayetteville Works, Fayetteville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067659466 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Smithfield Packing Company Incorporated - Tar Heel, Tar Heel
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $35,797.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007377338 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Bladenboro Wwtp, Bladenboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $133,985.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009845436 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Kuraray America-Fayetteville, Fayetteville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067426495 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Elizabethtown Power Limited Liability Company, Elizabethtown
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000349882 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Specialty Product Technologies, Elizabethtown
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $1,013.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009858261 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Elizabethtown Wastewater Plan, Elizabethtown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018816290 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Murphy-Brown, Llc - Bladenboro Feed Mill, Bladenboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054879878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.6
C.R. England Transport, Tarheel
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018698426 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Peanut Processors Of Elizabethtown Inc., Elizabethtown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067015679 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Campbell Oil & Gas Co., Elizabethtown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Toluene, Methyl tert-butyl ether and 3 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 28337CMPBL1106W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Dynapar Corp Dba Specialty Product Technologies, Elizabethtown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Mercury, Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 28337VDRRT2100W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
S&W Elizabethtown Plant, Elizabethtown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 2833WSWLZB146ME (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Murphy-Brown Llc Bladeboro Feed Mill, Bladenboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc (fume or dust), Copper And Copper Compounds, Manganese, Copper compounds. 55 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28320MRPHY255BR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.3
Elizabethtown Power Limited Liability Company, Elizabethtown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000349882 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3

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 Bladen County

North Carolina 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 Bladen County, and their findings.
North Carolina vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
North Carolina health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
North Carolina 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.
North Carolina 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.

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