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Macon County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Macon County is 153.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 122 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (91), Gas station (mapped facility) (7), Air permit holder (minor source) (6). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 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: 35.1622, -83.4794.

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 Macon County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	40.8	23.8	1.71xSignificant	33.1 to 50.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.3	3.7	1.43x	2.8 to 9.4	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	5.5	4.1	1.34x	3.4 to 9.1	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	23	18.7	1.23x	18 to 29.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	16.8	13.9	1.21x	12.4 to 22.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36.4	30.2	1.21xSignificant	30.3 to 43.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.1	17.9	1.18x	15.7 to 28	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.4	11.3	1.1x	8.9 to 17.2	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	153.4	143.2	1.07x	139.9 to 168.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	54.4	51.8	1.05x	46.8 to 63.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.1	14.5	1.04x	10.8 to 21	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	468.2	453.4	1.03x	442.7 to 494.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.7	18.5	0.96x	13 to 23.7	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.4	4.6	0.96x	2.4 to 7.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.3	8.7	0.95x	5.3 to 12.8	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.8	6.6	0.88x	3.3 to 9.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.2	4.8	0.88x	2.4 to 7.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	4.6	5.7	0.81x	2.6 to 8.1	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	9.5	13	0.73x	5.7 to 14.8	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 Macon County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	10,667.1	9,842.6	+8%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.4	75.3	+0%	years
Child mortality	54.2	59.8	-9%	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	133.5	96.9	+38%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	41.2	28.6	+44%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde16.5 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.71 per million
Acetaldehyde1.5 per million
Benzene0.64 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 348 days: 336 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 32, peak 97.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit91
Gas station (mapped facility)7
Air permit holder (minor source)6
Small hazardous waste generator5
Heliport4
Hydroelectric plant3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

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

Franklin Wwtp, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071710651 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Highlands Wwtp, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $368.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009845748 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Adams Franklin, Franklin
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2873WDMSFR895HI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Cullasaja Homeowner S Association, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006674401 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
4117 Buck Creek Road, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006714387 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Macon County Airport, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018677859 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
574 Tryphosa Road, Otto
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022567792 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Willow Brook Park Wwtp, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006708232 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Wildcat Cliffs Wwtp, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,554.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018715880 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Adams Franklin, Franklin
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071434125 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Whistle Stop Wwtp, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $414.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022020490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Skyline Lodge & Village Wwtp, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $414.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844785 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Southern Concrete Materials-Franklin Plant, Franklin
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds.
TRI facility ID 2873WSTHRN493WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.1
Tektone, Franklin
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds.
TRI facility ID 28734CHCGR324IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Highlands Falls Community Association, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $514.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009843973 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Mark Laurel Homeowner S Association, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006708740 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
4th Street Wtp, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $314.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844981 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Tellico Enterprises, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022564456 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Laurel Hills Homeowners Association, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006708651 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Macon County, Franklin
Public airport. O.
Record ID 1A5 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
The Mountain Highlands Camp And Conference, Highlands
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006708679 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
360 Doe Falls Road, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011046475 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Solesbee Mine, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043672914 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Caterpillar Precision Seals, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000351556 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
B And B Concrete Products, Franklin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001487169 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

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 Macon 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 Macon 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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