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Rockingham County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Rockingham County is 165.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 414 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (202), Rail grade crossing (57), Air permit holder (minor source) (42). 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: 36.3949, -79.7771.

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 Rockingham County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	48.8	30.2	1.62xSignificant	43.8 to 54.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	81.4	51.8	1.57xSignificant	75 to 88.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24	17.9	1.34xSignificant	20.3 to 28.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.3	3.4	1.26x	2.8 to 6.3	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.5	2	1.25x	1.5 to 4.2	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	27.9	23.8	1.17x	23.8 to 32.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	165.8	143.2	1.16xSignificant	156.1 to 175.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.9	8.7	1.14x	7.7 to 12.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	514.6	453.4	1.13xSignificant	496.9 to 532.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.3	5.7	1.11x	4.5 to 8.7	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	15.9	14.5	1.1x	12.7 to 19.6	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	20.4	18.7	1.09x	17.2 to 24.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.9	4.6	1.07x	3.4 to 7	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.3	6.2	1.02x	4.2 to 9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.4	11.3	1.01x	9.1 to 14.3	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	2.7	2.7	1x	1.6 to 4.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	13.6	13.9	0.98x	10.9 to 16.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.4	4.8	0.92x	3 to 6.3	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	3.5	4.1	0.85x	2.3 to 5.4	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.6	4.4	0.82x	2.2 to 5.6	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	5.3	6.6	0.8x	3.7 to 7.4	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.2	6.6	0.79x	3.6 to 7.4	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.4	18.5	0.78x	11.6 to 17.8	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9.9	13	0.76x	7.3 to 13.2	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	2.8	3.7	0.76x	1.7 to 4.4	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 Rockingham County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,516.3	9,842.6	+37%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.9	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	53.3	59.8	-11%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7.5	6.2	+21%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	140.1	96.9	+44%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	65.6	28.6	+129%	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.

Formaldehyde21.65 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.24 per million
Benzene1.1 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 243 days: 231 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 38, peak 74.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit202
Rail grade crossing57
Air permit holder (minor source)42
Gas station (mapped facility)32
Small hazardous waste generator12
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
Large hazardous waste generator9
TRI reporting facility8
Brownfield property7
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)6
Major air pollution source5
Public airport5
Solar power plant5
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)4
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Gas power plant2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Heliport1
Hydroelectric plant1
Scrapyard (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.

Pine Hall Brick Co Inc, Madison
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen fluoride, Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 424,816 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27025PNHLLLINDS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.8
Loparex Llc, Eden
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $42,276.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000346019 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.2
Pine Hall Brick Co-Chilton Van Noppen, Madison
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000345118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Loparex Inc, Eden
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene. 115,782 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27288RXMRL816FI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Dystar Lp, Reidsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, Cyclohexane, Butyraldehyde, Maleic anhydride and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,050 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27320BHMFLROUTE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Duke Energy Carolinas, Llc - Dan River Comb. Cycle Facility, Eden
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000345993 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Dystar Limited Partnership, Reidsville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $56,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009856165 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
City Of Reidsville Wastewater Treatment Plant, Reidsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $14,734.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000546865 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Amcor Tobacco Packaging Reidsville, Reidsville
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $2,392.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024419823 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Mayodan Wwtp, Mayodan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064595193 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Duke Energy Carolinas, Llc - Dan River Comb. Cycle Facility, Eden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000345993 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Eden Custom Processing Llc, Eden
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, Ethylene glycol. 3,721 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2728WDNCST328SU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Jacob'S Creek Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Madison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $670.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006673938 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Bethany Elementary School, Reidsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,181.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006709981 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Eden Custom Processing Llc, Eden
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024419814 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Duke Energy Carolinas Llc - Rockingham County Ct Facility, Reidsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens. 15 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2732WDKNRG24ERB (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
City Of Eden, Robert A. Harris Water Plant, Eden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000573157 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Hidden Valley Wwtp, Reidsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $305.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009842750 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Reidsville Wtp, Reidsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,138.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844204 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Sturm Ruger & Co Inc, Mayodan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Copper, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 6 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 27027NFNCXCARDW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Clean Harbors Environmental Services Llc - Reidsville, Reidsville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $27,075.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058305490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Dystar Limited Partnership, Reidsville
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $56,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009856165 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Clean Harbors Reidsville Llc, Reidsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Mercury, Lead, Lead And Lead Compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2732WCLNHR28WAT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.7
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc, Mayodan
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056322304 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Pine Hall Brick Co-Chilton Van Noppen, Madison
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000345118 (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 Rockingham 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 Rockingham 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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