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Charleston County, South Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Charleston County is 135 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 1,878 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (1,075), Gas station (mapped facility) (156), Air permit holder (minor source) (155). One correctional facility operates 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: 32.8537, -80.062.

How this county ranks in South 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 Charleston 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	27.5	23.8	1.16xSignificant	25.5 to 29.7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.7	17.9	1.04x	17.1 to 20.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	466.9	453.4	1.03xSignificant	458.4 to 475.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.5	11.3	1.02x	10.2 to 12.8	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	16.6	16.4	1.01x	12.6 to 21.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14	13.9	1.01x	12.6 to 15.6	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.1	4.1	1x	3.4 to 5	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.3	3.4	0.97x	2.6 to 4.1	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.4	8.7	0.97x	7.3 to 9.6	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	2.6	2.7	0.96x	2 to 3.3	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.8	18.5	0.96x	16.2 to 19.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	49.7	51.8	0.96x	47.1 to 52.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	135	143.2	0.94x	130.5 to 139.5	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.8	6.2	0.94x	4.9 to 7	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.3	5.7	0.93x	4.5 to 6.3	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4	4.4	0.91x	3.2 to 4.8	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	16.9	18.7	0.9x	15.3 to 18.6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.9	6.6	0.89x	5 to 6.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	26.9	30.2	0.89x	25 to 29	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	12.9	14.5	0.89x	11.5 to 14.5	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.8	6.6	0.88x	4.9 to 6.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.2	4.8	0.88x	3.5 to 5.1	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	4	4.6	0.87x	3.2 to 4.8	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.7	13	0.82x	9.3 to 12.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	1.6	2	0.8x	1.1 to 2.2	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	2.8	3.7	0.76x	2.3 to 3.6	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 Charleston County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,317.4	9,842.6	-15%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.9	75.3	+3%	years
Child mortality	73.6	59.8	+23%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.1	6.2	-2%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	100.4	96.9	+4%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	37.6	28.6	+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.

Formaldehyde19.93 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Ethylene Oxide2.07 per million
Acetaldehyde1.64 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 222 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 47, peak 105.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,878 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit1,075
Gas station (mapped facility)156
Air permit holder (minor source)155
Rail grade crossing124
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)102
Small hazardous waste generator75
Brownfield property37
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)37
TRI reporting facility29
Large hazardous waste generator21
Major air pollution source12
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)10
Hazardous waste transporter7
Scrapyard (mapped facility)7
Large greenhouse gas emitter5
Heliport5
Public airport4
EPA air quality monitor3
Commercial airport3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Superfund (NPL) site2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Crematorium (mapped facility)1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1
Gas power plant1
Solar 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.

Macalloy Corporation, North Charleston
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID SCD003360476 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Koppers Co., Inc. (Charleston Plant), Charleston
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID SCD980310239 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Kapstone Paper & Packaging Corp, North Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,934,852 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29411WSTVC5600A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.5
Rhodia Inc. - Charleston, Sc Plant, Charleston
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $243,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017326963 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.4
Ingevity South Carolina Llc Charleston Chemical Plant, North Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide, Ammonia, Methanol, Dimethylamine and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 397,065 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29406WSTVC5600V (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.8
Mercedes-Benz Vans Llc, Ladson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 231,117 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29456DMLRC851PA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Lanxess Corp, Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2-Dichloroethane, n-Butyl alcohol, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 140,549 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29415LBRGH2151K (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Detyens Shipyard, North Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Copper, Zinc compounds. Reports carcinogens. 116,159 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29405DTYNS1670D (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Mercedes-Benz Vans Llc, Ladson
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $102,600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024569411 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Gs Ii Inc., North Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde. Reports carcinogens. 58,559 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29405GSRFN2900B (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Boeing South Carolina, North Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methyl isobutyl ketone, Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Cumene and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 51,045 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2941WTHBNG54INT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Detyens Shipyard Inc. Charleston, North Charleston
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $25,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001139857 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Stevens Towing Co Inc, Hollywood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Butyl alcohol, Copper, Chromium, Nickel and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 20,433 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2944WSTVNS417HW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Amalie Oil Company (Former Delfin Group Usa, Llc), N Charleston
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000353368 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Plum Island Wwtp, Charleston
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,594.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000534583 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Rhodia Inc. - Charleston, Sc Plant, Charleston
Major air pollution source. Penalties $243,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017326963 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
The Boeing Company, North Charleston
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043452705 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Allied Aviation Fueling Of South Carolina Llc, Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Naphthalene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Methyl tert-butyl ether and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,246 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2941WLLDVT339FU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Everris Na Inc, North Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Zinc compounds, Copper compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 951 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29418GRCSR7200I (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, North Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Copper compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds. 51,069 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29445SNVYS2316R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Rhodia Inc. - Charleston, Sc Plant, Charleston
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $243,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017326963 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Rhodia Inc. - Charleston, Sc Plant, Charleston
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $243,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017326963 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Westrock Charleston, North Charleston
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $12,700.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070747709 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Concrete Pipe & Precast Llc-Charleston Plant, Charleston
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 248 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2940WMRCST275AZ (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Westvaco Corp Polychemicals Dept, North Charleston
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039019479 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2

Correctional facilities

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

Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Centercharle, North Charleston
EPA FRS registry ID
110020903218
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Charleston County

South 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 Charleston County, and their findings.
South 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.
South Carolina health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
South 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.
South 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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