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Edgecombe County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Edgecombe County is 191.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Stomach deaths at 2.2 times the U.S. rate and Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 222 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (56), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (49), Brownfield property (36). 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: 35.9128, -77.5777.

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 Edgecombe County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Stomach	Deaths	5.9	2.7	2.19xSignificant	3.6 to 9.3	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	6.1	3.4	1.79xSignificant	3.8 to 9.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	46.2	30.2	1.53xSignificant	39.5 to 53.9	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	9.2	6.6	1.39x	6.1 to 13.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	18.9	13.9	1.36xSignificant	14.4 to 24.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	191.6	143.2	1.34xSignificant	177.2 to 206.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	8.5	6.6	1.29x	5.8 to 12.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	65.9	51.8	1.27xSignificant	57.7 to 75	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4.3	3.7	1.16x	2.4 to 7.3	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.8	17.9	1.16x	15.8 to 27	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.9	11.3	1.14x	9.4 to 17.6	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.9	8.7	1.14x	7 to 13.8	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	493.8	453.4	1.09xSignificant	469.4 to 519.1	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.3	4.1	1.05x	2.5 to 7.3	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.7	6.2	0.92x	3.2 to 9.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	4.3	5.7	0.75x	2.5 to 7.2	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	14	18.7	0.75x	10.4 to 18.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	9.6	14.5	0.66x	6.6 to 13.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	11.9	18.5	0.64x	8.3 to 16.7	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	7.1	13	0.55x	4 to 11.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	12.5	23.8	0.53x	8.9 to 17.1	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 Edgecombe County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	16,248.1	9,842.6	+65%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	70.5	75.3	-6%	years
Child mortality	114	59.8	+91%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	11.8	6.2	+91%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	142.3	96.9	+47%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	46.8	28.6	+64%	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.

Formaldehyde19.89 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde2 per million
Benzene0.98 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 308 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 38, peak 68.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing56
NPDES wastewater discharge permit49
Brownfield property36
Air permit holder (minor source)20
Gas station (mapped facility)14
Solar power plant8
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
Small hazardous waste generator7
TRI reporting facility6
Major air pollution source5
Heliport3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hazardous waste transporter1

Highest-severity records

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

Hc Composites Llc, Tarboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methyl methacrylate. Reports carcinogens. 351,913 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27886HCCMP19WSA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.8
Hitachi Astemo Indiana Inc., Tarboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 50,458 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27886KHNCR4047M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
H C Composites Llc, Tarboro
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $10,724.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007659033 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.2
Air Distribution Technologies Inc., Tarboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers. 155,310 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27886RSYST3301N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Ls Cable & System U.S.A., Inc., Tarboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Zinc compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Antimony And Antimony Compounds and 2 more. 19,638 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27886LCTLT2801A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Air Systems Components, Tarboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001503748 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Tarboro Wwtp, Tarboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022546146 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Abb Inc, Pinetops
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 27864WSTNGHWY43 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
H C Composites Llc, Tarboro
Major air pollution source. Penalties $10,724.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007659033 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Comfort Research - Tarboro, Tarboro
Major air pollution source. Penalties $11,367.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058895003 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Macclesfield (Town) - Wwtp, Macclesfield
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,587.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844151 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Tar River Regional Wwtp, Rocky Mount
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022544031 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, Llc, Tarboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000548738 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
H C Composites Llc, Tarboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,724.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007659033 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Hitachi Astemo Greenfield, Llc, Tarboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012707419 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
American Fibers And Yarns, Rocky Mount
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018729982 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Abb Inc, Pinetops
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055520066 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Sepro Distribution Center, Rocky Mount
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds, Triclopyr-triethylammonium salt, Aluminum oxide (fibrous forms). 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27801MCFBRATLAN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.6
Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, Llc, Tarboro
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000548738 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Pinetops Wwtp, Pinetops
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $4,779.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009845864 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Abb Inc, Pinetops
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055520066 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Town Of Tarboro (Aci), Tarboro
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071538032 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Quality Laundry, Rocky Mount
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002358163 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Hunter-Odom Funeral Home, Rocky Mount
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018660313 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Planters Oil Mill, Rocky Mount
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038716459 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
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 Edgecombe 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 Edgecombe 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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