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Orange County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Orange County is 120 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 430 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (268), Gas station (mapped facility) (42), Rail grade crossing (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: 36.0527, -79.1224.

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 Orange County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
Melanoma of the skinNew cases33.123.81.39xSignificant29.2 to 37.42019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases22.418.51.21xSignificant19.2 to 262019-2023
Melanoma of the skinDeaths2.421.2x1.5 to 3.82020-2024
Brain & nervous systemNew cases7.36.21.18x5.4 to 9.52019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases19.817.91.11x16.8 to 23.22019-2023
All cancerNew cases467.4453.41.03x452.5 to 482.62019-2023
LeukemiaNew cases14.914.51.03x12.3 to 182019-2023
StomachDeaths2.72.71x1.7 to 4.12020-2024
BladderNew cases18.218.70.97x15.4 to 21.52019-2023
Brain & nervous systemDeaths4.14.40.93x2.9 to 5.82020-2024
Liver & bile ductNew cases7.98.70.91x6.2 to 102019-2023
Lung & bronchusNew cases4751.80.91x42.5 to 51.92019-2023
EsophagusDeaths3.23.70.86x2.2 to 4.72020-2024
LeukemiaDeaths4.95.70.86x3.4 to 6.72020-2024
PancreasDeaths9.611.30.85x7.6 to 122020-2024
ThyroidNew cases10.9130.84x8.6 to 13.72019-2023
All cancerDeaths120143.20.84x112.7 to 127.82020-2024
Liver & bile ductDeaths5.56.60.83x4 to 7.32020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths44.80.83x2.7 to 5.72020-2024
PancreasNew cases11.513.90.83x9.2 to 14.12019-2023
StomachNew cases5.16.60.77x3.6 to 6.92019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvisDeaths2.63.40.76x1.6 to 42020-2024
EsophagusNew cases3.44.60.74x2.3 to 52019-2023
BladderDeaths34.10.73x1.9 to 4.52020-2024
Lung & bronchusDeaths21.430.20.71x18.4 to 24.82020-2024

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 Orange County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death5,8029,842.6-41%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy81.675.3+8%years
Child mortality49.659.8-17%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality7.66.2+23%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths57.696.9-41%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths19.628.6-31%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.

  • Formaldehyde21.44 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
  • Acetaldehyde2.19 per million
  • Benzene1.33 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit268
  • Gas station (mapped facility)42
  • Rail grade crossing36
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)21
  • Air permit holder (minor source)15
  • Small hazardous waste generator6
  • Landfill (mapped facility)6
  • Dry cleaner (mapped facility)5
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
  • Public airport4
  • Solar power plant3
  • Scrapyard (mapped facility)3
  • TRI reporting facility3
  • Major air pollution source2
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter2
  • Large hazardous waste generator2
  • Heliport2
  • EPA air quality monitor1
  • Brownfield property1
  • Hazardous waste transporter1
  • Coal power plant1
  • 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. Univ Of Nc Chapel Hill Cogen Facility, Chapel Hill

    Coal power plant.

    Record ID 54276 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

    Severity 6

  2. The University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill

    Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $66,000.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110001103001 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  3. Armacell Llc, Mebane

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Diisononyl Phthalates (DINP). 4,030 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 27302RMSTR7600O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.8

  4. University Of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill

    Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $85,800.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110008460771 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  5. Armacell Llc, Mebane

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018642860 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.4

  6. Hilltop Mhp, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,943.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006707901 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.3

  7. Stonegate Mobile Home Park Wtp, Durham

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $260.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110022905935 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.3

  8. Industrial Connections & Solutions Llc, Mebane

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Silver, Nickel, Cyanide compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 7 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 27302GCXXX6801I (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.2

  9. Trails Wwtp, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $9,085.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018589945 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5

  10. Hillsborough Wwtp Town Of, Hillsborough

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000914949 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.8

  11. Mason Farm Wwtp, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110013331180 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.8

  12. Industrial Connections & Solutions Llc, Mebane

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000346144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.6

  13. Argos Chapel Hill Concrete Plant, Carrboro

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.

    TRI facility ID 2751WRGSCH291GU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 4.5

  14. Hartwell, John - Residence, Hillsborough

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006671903 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  15. 5205 Mount Moriah Road, Durham

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006672804 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  16. Mercs, David & Cheryl-Residenc, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006711638 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  17. Baker, Christopher & Margaret, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006711923 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  18. 1609 South Fordham Boulevard, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006712977 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  19. Rucker, William - Residence, Cedar Grove

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006715251 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  20. 1804 Mount Carmel Church Road, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006715803 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  21. Crossroads Baptist Church, Hillsborough

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018706015 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  22. 2715 Brown Road, Hurdle Mills

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110022567854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  23. 7106 Walnut Grove Church Road, Hurdle Mills

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110022567934 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  24. Carmax Auto Superstores Incorporated, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110024566021 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  25. 1235 Brookfield Drive, Chapel Hill

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110024815360 (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 Orange 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 Orange 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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