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Mitchell County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Mitchell County is 174.3 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 2.1 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 142 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (57), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (46), Air permit holder (minor source) (13). 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: 35.9908, -82.1255.

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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 Mitchell County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	13.7	6.6	2.08xSignificant	8.1 to 22.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	14.9	8.7	1.71xSignificant	9.1 to 24.3	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	40.4	23.8	1.7xSignificant	28 to 56.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	28.2	18.5	1.52x	18.5 to 41.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	72.9	51.8	1.41xSignificant	59.1 to 90	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	37.5	30.2	1.24x	27.7 to 50.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	174.3	143.2	1.22xSignificant	151.4 to 200.4	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	21.7	18.7	1.16x	14.2 to 32.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	522.6	453.4	1.15xSignificant	479.6 to 569.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.4	17.9	1.03x	10.2 to 30.9	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 Mitchell County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	10,459.3	9,842.6	+6%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74.1	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	125.5	96.9	+29%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	35.6	28.6	+24%	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.

Formaldehyde15.22 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.71 per million
Acetaldehyde1.29 per million
Benzene0.63 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 357 days: 291 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 31, peak 102.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing57
NPDES wastewater discharge permit46
Air permit holder (minor source)13
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)5
Major air pollution source2
EPA air quality monitor1
Brownfield property1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)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.

Brp Us Inc, Spruce Pine
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 21,334 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 28777MCSPR1025G (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Spruce Pine Wwtp, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009845757 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Crystal Operation, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,754.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043161574 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Bombardier Motor Corporation Of America - Spruce Pine, Spruce Pine
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012281627 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Feldspar, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,549.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001479953 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Feldspar, Spruce Pine
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $3,549.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001479953 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Blue Ridge Hospital System In, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018554081 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Kt Mica, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055107325 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Houston Transportation Inc, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056354626 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Steel Gray Mine, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071278722 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Spruce Pine Hospital, Spruce Pine
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 371210004 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.3
Bakersville Wwtp, Bakersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006710700 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
14196 Nc Highway 226 North, Bakersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064237437 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Facility, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006644382 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
United States Gypsum Company, Spruce Pine
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009846408 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bombardier Motor Corporation Of America - Spruce Pine, Spruce Pine
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012281627 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Quartz Corp / Pine Mountain, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064182156 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Sibelco North America - Red Hill Facility, Bakersville
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $4,325.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015381914 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Spruce Pine Town Hall, Spruce Pine
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071984809 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Unimin Corporation Quartz/Feldspar Facility, Spruce Pine
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110006644382 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Bombardier Motor Corporation Of America - Spruce Pine, Spruce Pine
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012281627 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Bombardier Motor Corporation Of America - Spruce Pine, Spruce Pine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012281627 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Red Hill Quartz Processing Plant, Bakersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043161618 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Wastewater Plant
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/1442842673 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
V. Alan Atkins, D.B.A. Appalachian Paving And Grading, Bakersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001492581 (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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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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