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Fairfield County, South Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Fairfield County is 204.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Pancreas deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 187 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (65), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (58), Air permit holder (minor source) (18). 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: 34.3737, -81.0779.

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 Fairfield County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	Deaths	17.7	11.3	1.57xSignificant	11.7 to 26.2	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	204.5	143.2	1.43xSignificant	181.6 to 229.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	42.3	30.2	1.4xSignificant	32.8 to 54.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	17.3	13.9	1.24x	11.5 to 25.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	56.7	51.8	1.09x	45.3 to 70.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	445	453.4	0.98x	410.5 to 482	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	12.7	14.5	0.88x	7.1 to 21.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	15.2	17.9	0.85x	9.9 to 23	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	13.9	18.5	0.75x	8.2 to 22.5	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	12.9	18.7	0.69x	7.9 to 20.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	13.1	23.8	0.55x	7.6 to 21.7	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 Fairfield County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	18,564.3	9,842.6	+89%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	68.8	75.3	-9%	years
Child mortality	126.9	59.8	+112%	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	138	96.9	+42%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	38	28.6	+33%	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.

Formaldehyde22.01 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million
Acetaldehyde2.25 per million
Benzene0.8 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing65
NPDES wastewater discharge permit58
Air permit holder (minor source)18
Gas station (mapped facility)12
TRI reporting facility6
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
Large hazardous waste generator4
Major air pollution source3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Brownfield property2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Hydroelectric plant1
Gas power plant1
Nuclear power plant1
Pumped storage plant1
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.

Victory Boats Llc, Winnsboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 18,917 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29180STNDRPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Isola Usa Corp, Ridgeway
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, N,N-Dimethylformamide, Copper And Copper Compounds, Copper compounds. Reports carcinogens. 15,501 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29130SLSXX100TI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Indorama Ventures Mobility Winnsboro Llc, Winnsboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Phenol, Formaldehyde, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 7,992 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29180NRYLGMAPLE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Winnsboro Wastewater Treatment Plant, Winnsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $80,100.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007220845 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Isola Usa Corp, Ridgeway
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000352181 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Healthcare Sc, Llc, Winnsboro
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $24,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070671840 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Palmetto Imaging Technology L Lc, Winnsboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene. 9,417 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29180FJCPN1214S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Plastech Engineered, Winnsboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001670825 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Healthcare Sc Llc, Winnsboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate, Toluene-2,6-diisocyanate, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 69 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2918WHLTHC1MLIL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Virgil C Summer Nuclear Station, Jenkinsville
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043582272 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Virgil C Summer Nuclear Station, Jenkinsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043582272 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Performance Fibers Inc Winnsboro Plant, Winnsboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000352449 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Ridgeway Town Of, Ridgeway
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $4,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002175654 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Dominion Energy Sc Inc Vc Summer Nuclear Station Off-Site Water System, Jenkinsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $4,080.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063023730 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Palmetto Imaging Technology, Winnsboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000587295 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Winnsboro Wastewater Treatment Plant, Winnsboro
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $80,100.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007220845 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Healthcare Sc, Llc, Winnsboro
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $24,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070671840 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Adams Ridgeway, Ridgeway
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Mercury And Mercury Compounds. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2913WDMSRD99CMM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.7
Kennecott Ridgeway Mining Company, Ridgeway
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000352172 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Vision Center, White Oak
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010578160 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Isola Usa Corp, Ridgeway
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000352181 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Town Of Winnsboro:Water Treatment Plant, Winnsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017314280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Vulcan Construction Materials Llc/Fairfield Quarry, Winnsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071203884 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Victory Boats, Llc, Winnsboro
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071366624 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Adams Ridgeway, Ridgeway
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071432910 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4

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 Fairfield 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 Fairfield 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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