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Watauga County, North Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Watauga County is 129.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 179 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (103), Gas station (mapped facility) (27), Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility) (19). 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: 36.2518, -81.7046.

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 Watauga 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	45.1	23.8	1.89xSignificant	37.4 to 54.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	18	14.5	1.24x	13.3 to 24.1	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.9	4.1	1.2x	2.8 to 8.4	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	20.6	18.7	1.1x	15.9 to 26.6	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.9	4.6	1.07x	2.7 to 8.3	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.3	6.2	1.02x	3.5 to 10.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	441.4	453.4	0.97x	417.3 to 466.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.3	6.6	0.95x	3.9 to 9.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.4	17.9	0.92x	12 to 22.2	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	129.3	143.2	0.9x	116.5 to 143.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.7	18.5	0.9x	12.3 to 22.2	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.8	6.6	0.88x	3.3 to 9.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	45.1	51.8	0.87x	37.9 to 53.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	24.9	30.2	0.82x	19.5 to 31.4	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	9.3	13	0.72x	5.6 to 14.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	9.4	13.9	0.68x	6.3 to 13.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	6.8	11.3	0.6x	4.2 to 10.7	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	5	8.7	0.57x	3 to 8.3	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 Watauga County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,649.3	9,842.6	-32%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	79.4	75.3	+5%	years
Child mortality	27.5	59.8	-54%	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	64.8	96.9	-33%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	21.7	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.

Formaldehyde14.79 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.69 per million
Acetaldehyde1.2 per million
Benzene0.69 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit103
Gas station (mapped facility)27
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)19
Air permit holder (minor source)13
Small hazardous waste generator7
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Heliport2
Public airport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
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.

Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,371.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009845132 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Town Of Beech Mountain, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $403.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006708198 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Willow Valley Resort Wwtp, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006708697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Hebron Colony & Grace Home Wwtp, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006710363 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Yonahlossee Wwtp, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006710372 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
The Ponds Wwtp, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844142 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Blowing Rock Wtp, Blowing Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018530703 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Beech Mountain, Town Of, Beech Mountain
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018687946 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Appalachian State Wtp, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,181.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844357 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Grandfather Trout Ponds, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018750118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Seven Devils Resort, Blowing Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006710121 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Mill Ridge Development Wwtp, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009845230 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Valley Creek Apartments Wwtp, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018780728 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Jimmy Smith Wwtp, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022546994 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Town Of Beech Mountain, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006673493 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Sunset Apartments, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006673705 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Summit Woods Apartments Wwtp, Blowing Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844507 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Woodland Hills Apartments Wwtp, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009844758 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Laurel Seasons Wwtp, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006709758 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Tynecastle Wwtp, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009720034 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Roaring River Chalets Wwtp, Blowing Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006673698 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Valley Creek Wwtp, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006804146 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Smoketree Lodge, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006804182 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Parkway Elementary School, Boone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009843223 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Camp Broadstone, Banner Elk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018581934 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5

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 Watauga 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 Watauga 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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