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Burke County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Burke County is 165.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 368 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (170), Air permit holder (minor source) (44), Gas station (mapped facility) (35). 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: 35.7793, -81.7531.

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 Burke County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
Kidney & renal pelvisDeaths5.73.41.68xSignificant4 to 7.92020-2024
Melanoma of the skinDeaths3.121.55x1.8 to 52020-2024
Melanoma of the skinNew cases3523.81.47xSignificant30.2 to 40.52019-2023
Lung & bronchusDeaths43.730.21.45xSignificant38.9 to 492020-2024
Lung & bronchusNew cases7351.81.41xSignificant66.7 to 79.82019-2023
LeukemiaDeaths7.85.71.37x5.6 to 10.52020-2024
EsophagusDeaths4.53.71.22x3 to 6.62020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases21.617.91.21x17.9 to 25.92019-2023
All cancerDeaths165.7143.21.16xSignificant155.9 to 1762020-2024
Liver & bile ductNew cases108.71.15x7.7 to 12.82019-2023
EsophagusNew cases5.14.61.11x3.5 to 7.22019-2023
Brain & nervous systemNew cases6.76.21.08x4.7 to 9.32019-2023
All cancerNew cases489.6453.41.08xSignificant472 to 507.82019-2023
StomachDeaths2.82.71.04x1.7 to 4.62020-2024
PancreasDeaths11.711.31.04x9.3 to 14.82020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths4.94.81.02x3.4 to 72020-2024
LeukemiaNew cases14.814.51.02x11.6 to 18.62019-2023
StomachNew cases6.76.61.02x4.8 to 9.32019-2023
ThyroidNew cases13131x9.8 to 16.92019-2023
BladderNew cases18.418.70.98x15.3 to 22.12019-2023
Liver & bile ductDeaths6.26.60.94x4.4 to 8.52020-2024
PancreasNew cases1313.90.94x10.4 to 16.32019-2023
Brain & nervous systemDeaths4.14.40.93x2.7 to 6.22020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases15.718.50.85x12.7 to 19.22019-2023
BladderDeaths3.34.10.8x2.1 to 52020-2024

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 Burke County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death11,521.29,842.6+17%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy74.275.3-1%years
Child mortality57.359.8-4%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality7.56.2+21%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths108.896.9+12%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths51.128.6+79%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.

  • Formaldehyde20.7 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.86 per million
  • Acetaldehyde2.1 per million
  • Pahpom1.19 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit170
  • Air permit holder (minor source)44
  • Gas station (mapped facility)35
  • Rail grade crossing28
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)20
  • Small hazardous waste generator13
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)13
  • TRI reporting facility12
  • Major air pollution source6
  • Oil-fired power plant5
  • Brownfield property4
  • Large hazardous waste generator3
  • Heliport3
  • Solar power plant3
  • Public airport2
  • Landfill (mapped facility)2
  • Commercial airport1
  • Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
  • Hydroelectric plant1
  • Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
  • Wastewater plant (mapped facility)1

Highest-severity records

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

  1. Sgl Carbon, Llc, Morganton

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $8,287.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002100039 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 9.3

  2. Hexion Inc - Morganton Facility, Morganton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Certain glycol ethers, Thiourea. Reports carcinogens. 94,276 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28655STRND114IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.3

  3. Molded Fiber Glass North Carolina, Morganton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Zinc compounds. Reports carcinogens. 56,026 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28655MLDDP213RE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.1

  4. American Roller Bearing Co, Morganton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Copper, Nickel, Chromium and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 24,601 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 2865WMRCNR37BUR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.9

  5. Saft America, Inc., Valdese

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351413 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.6

  6. Sgl Carbon Llc, Morganton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Phenanthrene, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 11,733 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28655SGLCR307JA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.6

  7. Environmental Inks - A Member Of The Siegwerk Group, Morganton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351128 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.4

  8. Sgl Carbon, Llc, Morganton

    Major air pollution source. Penalties $8,287.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002100039 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.3

  9. Town Of Valdese Wastewater Treatment Plant, Valdese

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,260.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018722435 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  10. Sgl Carbon, Llc, Morganton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $8,287.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002100039 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.8

  11. Saft America, Inc., Valdese

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351413 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.5

  12. American Roller Bearing, Morganton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 19,976 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28655RXNRDONECH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.3

  13. Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems Llc, Morganton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 215 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28655DNCRP105WA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.3

  14. Saft America, Inc., Valdese

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351413 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  15. Borden Chemical Incorporated, Morganton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351155 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.9

  16. Molded Fiber Glass Company/North Carolina, Morganton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351119 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.9

  17. American Roller Bearing Co, Morganton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110004038194 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.7

  18. Rexnord Corporation, Morganton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351137 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.6

  19. Environmental Inks - A Member Of The Siegwerk Group, Morganton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 865 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28655NVRNM1QUAL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.3

  20. Hickory Rgnl, Hickory

    Commercial airport. O.

    Record ID HKY (FAA / U.S. DOT)

    Severity 5

  21. Dana Corporation, Morganton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351066 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.9

  22. Environmental Inks - A Member Of The Siegwerk Group, Morganton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351128 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  23. Saft America, Inc., Valdese

    Small hazardous waste generator.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000351413 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  24. American Concrete, Inc., Morganton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110007377588 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  25. Meridian Specialty Yarn Group, Valdese

    Small hazardous waste generator.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018516159 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

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 Burke 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 Burke 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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