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Lee County, South Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Lee County is 179.8 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 93 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (33), Rail grade crossing (24), Gas station (mapped facility) (8). 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: 34.1593, -80.3174.

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 Lee County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	55.3	30.2	1.83xSignificant	42.3 to 71.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	179.8	143.2	1.26xSignificant	155.2 to 207.5	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.9	17.9	1.22x	13.2 to 34.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	60	51.8	1.16x	46.4 to 76.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.3	13.9	1.03x	8.1 to 23.8	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	383.2	453.4	0.85x	346.4 to 423.2	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 Lee County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	17,807.8	9,842.6	+81%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	68.8	75.3	-9%	years
Child mortality	133.5	59.8	+123%	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	134.8	96.9	+39%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	28.5	28.6	-0%	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.

Formaldehyde21.8 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde2.18 per million
Benzene0.75 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit33
Rail grade crossing24
Gas station (mapped facility)8
Air permit holder (minor source)5
Solar power plant4
Major air pollution source3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Hazardous waste transporter2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
Public airport1
Brownfield property1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Biomass power plant1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)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.

Ardagh Metal Beverage Usa Inc. Re: Bishopville Sc Facility, Bishopville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, n-Butyl alcohol, Manganese, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1,796,654 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29010MRCNN609CO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Rexam Beverage Can Company, Bishopville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000351798 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
City Of Bishopville Wastewater Treatment Facility, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000570481 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Lynchburg Waste Water Treatment Facility, Lynchburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $21,536.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006667632 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Santee Cooper Lee County Landfill, Bishopville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017746322 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Rexam Beverage Can Company, Bishopville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000351798 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Santee Cooper Lee County Landfill, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017746322 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Efp Llc - Bishopville, Bishopville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071992363 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Henry Wilson Station, Elliot
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038696596 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Santee Cooper Lee County Landfill, Bishopville
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017746322 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Nutrien Ag Solutions, Bishopville
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038295724 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Lynchburg Wtp, Lynchburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039518260 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Warren Lee/Sandhill Dirt Mine, Camden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071204864 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Lee County Landfill, Bishopville
Biomass power plant.
Record ID 56120 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 2.5
Lee County/Butters Fld, Bishopville
Public airport. O.
Record ID 52J (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
South Atlantic Canners Incorporated, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000351805 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Scarng Bishopville, Bishopville
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002193233 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Scarng Bishopville, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002193233 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Regional Processing Facility, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071409390 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Us 15 Sidewalk Extension, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071436127 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Us 401 And Sc-341 Intersection Improvements, Elliot
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071438873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Efp Llc - Bishopville, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071823072 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Bishopville Solar Ii Llc, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071913181 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sewer Improvements For City Of Bishopville Phase Iii, Bishopville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071915744 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Efp 200,000 Sf Building Expansion, N/A
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071917830 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

Correctional facilities

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

Sc Department Of Corrections Lee Correctional Facility, Bishopville
EPA FRS registry ID
110001669383
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Lee 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 Lee 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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