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Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Mecklenburg County is 128.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 2,804 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (1,566), Rail grade crossing (274), Gas station (mapped facility) (273). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 40 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: 35.2583, -80.8306.

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 Mecklenburg 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	27.7	23.8	1.16xSignificant	26.3 to 29.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	465.3	453.4	1.03xSignificant	459.6 to 471.2	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	Deaths	1.9	1.9	1x	1.2 to 2.9	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	16.4	16.4	1x	14.1 to 19	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.9	13.9	1x	12.9 to 15	2019-2023
Thyroid	Deaths	0.5	0.5	1x	0.3 to 0.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	11	11.3	0.97x	10.1 to 12	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.4	17.9	0.97x	16.3 to 18.5	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.4	8.7	0.97x	7.7 to 9.2	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	2.6	2.7	0.96x	2.2 to 3	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.3	6.6	0.95x	5.7 to 7	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	6.3	6.6	0.95x	5.7 to 7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.5	18.5	0.95x	16.3 to 18.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.5	4.8	0.94x	4 to 5.2	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.4	14.5	0.92x	12.4 to 14.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	47.3	51.8	0.91x	45.4 to 49.2	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	128.4	143.2	0.9x	125.3 to 131.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	5.1	5.7	0.89x	4.5 to 5.7	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	3.6	4.1	0.88x	3 to 4.1	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.4	6.2	0.87x	4.8 to 6.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.1	18.7	0.86x	15 to 17.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	25.4	30.2	0.84x	24.1 to 26.8	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	10.5	13	0.81x	9.6 to 11.3	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.4	4.4	0.77x	2.9 to 3.9	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	3.5	4.6	0.76x	3 to 4.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	1.5	2	0.75x	1.2 to 1.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	2.4	3.4	0.71x	2 to 2.8	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	2.5	3.7	0.68x	2.1 to 3	2020-2024

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 Mecklenburg County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,928.7	9,842.6	-30%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.8	75.3	+5%	years
Child mortality	56.6	59.8	-5%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5.5	6.2	-12%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	63.7	96.9	-34%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	23.4	28.6	-18%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 40 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde24.91 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.45 per million
Benzene1.57 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 176 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 51, peak 97.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

2,804 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit1,566
Rail grade crossing274
Gas station (mapped facility)273
Small hazardous waste generator149
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)118
Air permit holder (minor source)108
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)77
TRI reporting facility63
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)45
Large hazardous waste generator38
Brownfield property33
Heliport10
Hazardous waste transporter8
Major air pollution source7
EPA air quality monitor6
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)6
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Landfill (mapped facility)4
Scrapyard (mapped facility)4
Oil-fired power plant3
Biomass power plant2
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Crematorium (mapped facility)1
Nuclear power plant1
Solar power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

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

Ram Leather Care, Charlotte
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 40.4. NPL Site.
EPA site ID NCD982096653 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Brenntag Southeast Inc, Charlotte
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $16,900.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000349711 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.7
Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Co, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Zinc (fume or dust), Lead, Manganese compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 233,370 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28208CHRLT1335S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Emerald Carolina Chemical, Llc, Charlotte
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $17,730.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000349436 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Mallard Creek Polymers, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Styrene, 1,3-Butadiene, Methyl methacrylate and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 144,276 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28213NCLCH14700 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Mallard Creek Polymers, Llc, Charlotte
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $25,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070834407 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Transcontinental Matthews, Matthews
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Butyl alcohol, Toluene, N,N-Dimethylformamide, Methanol. Reports carcinogens. 110,562 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28105RXHMC700CR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Americh Corp, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 101,479 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28273MRCNC10700 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Brenntag Mid-South, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Cyclohexane, Certain glycol ethers and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 27,121 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28273WRTHC11750 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Nexeo Solutions Llc, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Hexane, Certain glycol ethers, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 21,565 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28208SHLND3930G (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Gerdau Long Steel Na-Charlotte Mill, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead compounds, Manganese compounds, Mercury compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 21,368 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28213FLRDSHWY11 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Jim Myers & Sons Inc, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese, Aluminum (fume or dust) and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 12,196 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2827WJMMYR512WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Siemens Charlotte Turbine Generator Service Center, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Chromium, Nickel, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 8,953 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28217WSTNG5101W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Igm Resins Charlotte, Inc, Charlotte
Major air pollution source. Penalties $188,560.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012474740 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Proampac Ac Us Llc, Matthews
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $13,758.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000348455 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Concrete Supply (North), Charlotte
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001479775 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.4
Snyder'S-Lance Inc., Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 597,028 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2827WSNYDRCRUMP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Global Charlotte North & South Terminals, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers), Benzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 6,235 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2821WMTVNT6851F (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Kurz Transfer Products. L.P. Huntersville, Huntersville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Toluene, n-Butyl alcohol, Toluene-2,6-diisocyanate and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,880 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2807WKRZTR11836 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Blanchard Terminal Co - Charlotte East Nc Terminal, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers), Cyclohexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 4,785 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28214TRNSM7401O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Steelfab Inc, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Propylene, Lead, Nickel and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,816 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28214STLFB8623O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Emerald Carolina Chemical, Llc, Charlotte
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $17,730.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000349436 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Igm Resins Charlotte, Inc, Charlotte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $188,560.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012474740 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Ready Mixed Concrete Company, Charlotte
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013395165 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Sterigenics Us Llc-Charlotte Nc Facility, Charlotte
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene oxide, Ethylene glycol. Reports carcinogens. 1,298 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28278GRFFT10801 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9

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 Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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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