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Rowan County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Rowan County is 158.2 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 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 670 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (235), Rail grade crossing (144), Gas station (mapped facility) (61). 2 correctional facilities operate in the county. 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: 35.6812, -80.5502.

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 Rowan County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
Lung & bronchusDeaths40.130.21.33xSignificant36.2 to 44.32020-2024
Lung & bronchusNew cases68.151.81.31xSignificant63.1 to 73.52019-2023
Melanoma of the skinNew cases29.223.81.23xSignificant25.7 to 33.12019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases21.717.91.21xSignificant18.8 to 24.92019-2023
Liver & bile ductDeaths7.86.61.18x6.2 to 9.82020-2024
EsophagusNew cases5.44.61.17x4 to 7.22019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvisDeaths3.93.41.15x2.8 to 5.42020-2024
BladderDeaths4.64.11.12x3.3 to 6.32020-2024
PancreasDeaths12.611.31.12x10.4 to 152020-2024
All cancerDeaths158.2143.21.1xSignificant150.2 to 166.52020-2024
PancreasNew cases15.213.91.09x12.8 to 17.92019-2023
Brain & nervous systemDeaths4.84.41.09x3.4 to 6.42020-2024
BladderNew cases20.318.71.09x17.5 to 23.42019-2023
StomachDeaths2.92.71.07x1.9 to 4.22020-2024
LeukemiaNew cases15.414.51.06x12.9 to 18.32019-2023
All cancerNew cases480.2453.41.06xSignificant466.1 to 494.72019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)New cases1716.41.04x10.8 to 25.52019-2023
EsophagusDeaths3.83.71.03x2.7 to 5.22020-2024
Melanoma of the skinDeaths221x1.3 to 3.22020-2024
Liver & bile ductNew cases8.68.70.99x6.9 to 10.72019-2023
LeukemiaDeaths5.65.70.98x4.2 to 7.42020-2024
Brain & nervous systemNew cases5.66.20.9x4.2 to 7.42019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths4.34.80.9x3.1 to 62020-2024
StomachNew cases5.66.60.85x4.2 to 7.52019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases14.618.50.79x12.2 to 17.42019-2023
ThyroidNew cases9.7130.75x7.6 to 12.22019-2023

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 Rowan County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death12,311.99,842.6+25%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy72.775.3-3%years
Child mortality60.559.8+1%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality6.56.2+5%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths127.896.9+32%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths59.528.6+108%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.

  • Formaldehyde23.2 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
  • Acetaldehyde2.46 per million
  • Benzene1.32 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 269 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 43, peak 88.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit235
  • Rail grade crossing144
  • Gas station (mapped facility)61
  • Air permit holder (minor source)56
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)26
  • TRI reporting facility24
  • Brownfield property23
  • Public airport16
  • Small hazardous waste generator14
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)11
  • Solar power plant11
  • Major air pollution source10
  • Wastewater plant (mapped facility)10
  • Large hazardous waste generator9
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter5
  • Scrapyard (mapped facility)4
  • Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
  • Gas power plant2
  • EPA air quality monitor1
  • Commercial airport1
  • Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
  • Heliport1
  • Landfill (mapped facility)1
  • Oil-fired 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.

  1. National Starch & Chemical Corp., Salisbury

    Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 46.5. NPL Site.

    EPA site ID NCD991278953 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record

    Severity 10

  2. Teijin Automotive Technologies Nc Composites, Llc- Salisbury, Salisbury

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $8,279.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006860691 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 9.6

  3. Southern Co Rowan County Power Plant, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens. 367,020 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28144PRGRS5755N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.8

  4. Teijin Automotive Technologies North Carolina Composites Ll, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Zinc compounds, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 205,734 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28144MRDNT6701S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.6

  5. Henkel Us Operations Corporation, Salisbury

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $7,580.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056525835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 8.4

  6. Nouryon Surface Chemistry Llc, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2-Dichloroethane, Vinyl acetate, Ammonia, Methyl methacrylate and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 110,603 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 2814WKZNBL485CE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.4

  7. Henkel Us Operations Corp, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Vinyl acetate, Methyl tert-butyl ether, n-Hexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 63,705 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28144NTNLSCEDAR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.2

  8. General Shale Brick Inc. - Plant 51, East Spencer

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen fluoride, Lead, Manganese compounds. Reports carcinogens. 41,943 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28145SNHRBNLONG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8

  9. Inland Coatings, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Diisocyanates, Ethylbenzene. Reports carcinogens. 14,503 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 2814WLDPRD132LI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.7

  10. Teijin Automotive Technologies Nc Composites, Llc- Salisbury, Salisbury

    Major air pollution source. Penalties $8,279.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006860691 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  11. City Of Salisbury Wwtp, Salisbury

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $8,693.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110070003594 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  12. Westlake Royal Building Products Inc - Plant 2, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, Diisocyanates, Lead compounds, Diethanolamine and 3 more. 154,198 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 2814WBRLCM175CI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7

  13. Daimler Trucks Na Llc-Cleveland, Cleveland

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Butyl alcohol, Xylene (mixed isomers), 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Methanol and 2 more. 128,122 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 27013FRGHTHWY70 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.9

  14. Granges Americas Inc., Salisbury

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $1,428.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000348927 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.8

  15. Granges Americas Inc, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chlorine, Copper, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 550 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28144NTNLL1709J (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.6

  16. Chroma Color Corp, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Antimony compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 443 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 2814WCRLNC1E17T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.5

  17. Eastern Wholesale Fence, Salisbury

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $374.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000348954 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.5

  18. Teijin Automotive Technologies Nc Composites, Llc- Salisbury, Salisbury

    Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $8,279.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006860691 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.5

  19. Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry Llc., Salisbury

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000348936 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.3

  20. Buck, Salisbury

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110001978334 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.3

  21. Rowan County Power Plant, Salisbury

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110020516486 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.2

  22. Innospec Performance Chemicals Us Co, Spencer

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000349114 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.2

  23. Daimler Trucks Na Llc, Cleveland

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000345083 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.1

  24. Eastern Wholesale Fence, Salisbury

    Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $374.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000348954 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  25. Innospec Active Chemicals, Salisbury

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Cyclohexanol, Zinc compounds, Methanol and 2 more. 5,297 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 28159FNTXNI85AN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.9

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Rowan 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 Rowan 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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