SC / county FIPS 45029 / county research

Colleton County, South Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Colleton County is 197.7 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 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 233 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (82), Rail grade crossing (75), Gas station (mapped facility) (28). 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: 32.8268, -80.6506.

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Colleton County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	52.9	30.2	1.75xSignificant	44.6 to 62.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	85.2	51.8	1.64xSignificant	74.7 to 97	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	27.7	17.9	1.55xSignificant	21.3 to 35.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	6.4	4.6	1.39x	3.8 to 10.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	197.7	143.2	1.38xSignificant	181.1 to 215.6	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.6	4.4	1.27x	3.1 to 9.5	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	7.8	6.2	1.26x	4.6 to 12.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7	5.7	1.23x	4.1 to 11.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	13.6	11.3	1.2x	9.8 to 18.8	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	10.4	8.7	1.2x	7.1 to 15	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.8	6.6	1.18x	5 to 11.9	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	7.2	6.6	1.09x	4.2 to 11.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	491.1	453.4	1.08xSignificant	464.2 to 519.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.7	13.9	1.06x	10.6 to 20.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.5	18.7	0.88x	12 to 22.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	12.2	14.5	0.84x	8 to 17.7	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.9	13	0.84x	6.6 to 16.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	13.9	18.5	0.75x	9.8 to 19.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	16.9	23.8	0.71x	12 to 23.2	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 Colleton County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	17,986.5	9,842.6	+83%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	68.6	75.3	-9%	years
Child mortality	123	59.8	+106%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	9.3	6.2	+49%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	159.6	96.9	+65%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	32.3	28.6	+13%	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.

Formaldehyde20.77 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde2.06 per million
Benzene0.7 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit82
Rail grade crossing75
Gas station (mapped facility)28
Air permit holder (minor source)18
Brownfield property8
Small hazardous waste generator5
TRI reporting facility4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
Public airport3
Major air pollution source1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hazardous waste transporter1
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.

Carolina Composites, Walterboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methyl methacrylate. Reports carcinogens. 325,450 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2944WCRLNC28UPC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Walterboro City Of Wwtp, Walterboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039825561 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Balchem Corp, Green Pond
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene oxide, Ethylene oxide. Reports carcinogens. 1,306 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29446BLCHMPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Carolina Composites Llc, Walterboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037443512 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Arc Specialty Products - Balchem Corp, Green Pond
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000353518 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Town Of Edisto Beach Ro Wtp, Edisto Island
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070100067 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Bolen Point Plantation Property Owners Association, Inc., Green Pond
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071710939 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Oldcastle Lawn & Garden, Walterboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041625952 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Gehl Foods, Llc, Walterboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071731324 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ccsd Ruffin Middle School, Ruffin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006796235 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Slivka Family Children'S Trust, Walterboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013402736 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Round O Mining Llc, Round O
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071238959 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Carolina Composites Llc, Walterboro
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037443512 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Coastal Lumber, Walterboro
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002233529 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Rohde Shop-Rite, Walterboro
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017093349 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Bell Buoy Seafood Site, Edisto Island
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046370217 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Strickland'S Dixie Cleaners, Walterboro
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071977158 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Short Stop 3, Walterboro
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071977159 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Sweat Properties, Walterboro
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071977255 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Rizer Ford Dealership, Walterboro
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071979103 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Colleton County Downtown Properties, Walterboro
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071981119 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Hca Healthcare Colleton Hospital, Walterboro
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $4,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001665966 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Canadys Station, Walterboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043797111 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Oldcastle Lawn & Garden, Walterboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds.
TRI facility ID 2848WLDCST372UP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Gehl Foods Llc, Walterboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid.
TRI facility ID 2948WGHLFD181CR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3

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 Colleton 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 Colleton 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.

Scan an address in Colleton County View on the heat map All South Carolina counties