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Chester County, Pennsylvania: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Chester County is 127.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Melanoma of the skin deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 2,338 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (1,113), Air permit holder (minor source) (317), Small hazardous waste generator (215). 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: 39.9811, -75.7106.

How this county ranks in Pennsylvania

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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 Chester County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.7	2	1.35xSignificant	2.1 to 3.3	2020-2024
Thyroid	Deaths	0.6	0.5	1.2x	0.4 to 1	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	4.2	3.7	1.14x	3.6 to 4.9	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.8	4.4	1.09x	4.1 to 5.6	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	13.7	13	1.05x	12.4 to 15.2	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.5	6.2	1.05x	5.7 to 7.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.8	5.7	1.02x	5.1 to 6.7	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	18	18.7	0.96x	16.6 to 19.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.6	4.8	0.96x	3.9 to 5.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	13.3	13.9	0.96x	12.1 to 14.6	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.4	4.6	0.96x	3.7 to 5.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.8	11.3	0.96x	9.8 to 12	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	15.2	16.4	0.93x	11.8 to 19.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	415	453.4	0.92x	408 to 422	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	127.7	143.2	0.89x	124 to 131.6	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.4	18.5	0.89x	15 to 17.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.7	6.6	0.86x	5 to 6.6	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	12.4	14.5	0.86x	11.2 to 13.7	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	3.5	4.1	0.85x	2.9 to 4.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	42.5	51.8	0.82x	40.4 to 44.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	24.7	30.2	0.82x	23.1 to 26.4	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	5.2	6.6	0.79x	4.5 to 6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.6	8.7	0.76x	5.8 to 7.5	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	1.9	2.7	0.7x	1.4 to 2.4	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	12.4	17.9	0.69x	11.3 to 13.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	15.6	23.8	0.66x	14.3 to 17.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	1.9	3.4	0.56x	1.4 to 2.4	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 Chester County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	4,897.7	9,842.6	-50%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	81	75.3	+8%	years
Child mortality	33.8	59.8	-43%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	4.2	6.2	-32%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	62.9	96.9	-35%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	22.8	28.6	-20%	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.

Formaldehyde18.76 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde1.9 per million
Benzene1.78 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 363 days: 259 good, 2 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 43, peak 157.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

2,338 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit1,113
Air permit holder (minor source)317
Small hazardous waste generator215
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)142
Rail grade crossing136
Gas station (mapped facility)127
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)50
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)38
TRI reporting facility36
Large hazardous waste generator31
Hazardous waste transporter31
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)27
Brownfield property17
Heliport14
Major air pollution source9
Superfund (NPL) site9
Public airport7
Large greenhouse gas emitter5
Landfill (mapped facility)4
Solar power plant4
Airfield2
Commercial airport2
EPA air quality monitor1
Biomass power plant1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

A.I.W. Frank/Mid-County Mustang, Exton
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 42.4. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD004351003 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Malvern TCE, Malvern
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 46.7. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD014353445 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Foote Mineral Co., East Whiteland Township
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD077087989 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
William Dick Lagoons, West Caln Township
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 36.6. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD980537773 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Blosenski Landfill, West Caln Township
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 30.6. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD980539985 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Kimberton, Kimberton Borough
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 29.4. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD980691703 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Paoli Rail Yard, Paoli
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 32.2. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD980692594 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Walsh Landfill, Honeybrook Township
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 33.6. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD980829527 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Old Wilmington Road Ground Water Contamination, Sadsburyville
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID PAD981938939 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Cleveland-Cliffs Plate Llc Coatesville Facility, Coatesville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Nickel compounds, Zinc compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 552,770 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 19320LKNSSMODEN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.9
Whitford Corp/Elverson, Elverson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025398184 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.2
Taylor Industries Inc., Parker Ford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 37,897 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 19457TYLRNANDER (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Whitford Corp, Elverson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, Certain glycol ethers, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 37,343 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 19520GRCCH47PAR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Delaware Valley Custom Marble Inc, West Grove
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 20,315 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 19390DLWRV4BRIA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Metallurgical Products Co, West Chester
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Nickel, Lead, Phosphorus (yellow or white). Reports carcinogens. 13,885 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 19381MTLLR810LI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Arcelormittal Plate Llc - Coatesville Facility, Coatesville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005981928 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Dsm Biomedical, Exton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: N,N-Dimethylformamide, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 4,006 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1934WDSMBM735PE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Johnson Matthey - Wayne Plt, Wayne
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $22,830.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002449315 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.2
Henry Co, Kimberton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Xylene (mixed isomers). Reports carcinogens. 2,428 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 19442MNSYPCOLDS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Delaware Valley Custom Marble Inc/Glenmar Mfg, West Grove
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013288398 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Arkema West Chester Plant, West Chester
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Acrylic acid, Ethylene glycol, Certain glycol ethers and 2 more. 35,050 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 19382SRTMRBOLMA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Henry Kimberton Fac, Kimberton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056962746 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Pepperidge Farm, Downingtown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 17,923 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1933WPPPRD421BT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Arkema Inc/West Chester, West Chester
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000337476 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Wire & Cable Specialties Inc, Coatesville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel, Ammonia. Reports carcinogens. 105 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1932WWRCBL44HIG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1

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 Chester County

Pennsylvania 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 Chester County, and their findings.
Pennsylvania vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Pennsylvania health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania 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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