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York County, South Carolina: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in York County is 153 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 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 1,603 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (1,123), Rail grade crossing (103), Gas station (mapped facility) (85). 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: 34.9927, -81.1883.

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 York 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	30	23.8	1.26xSignificant	27.3 to 32.8	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.4	2	1.2x	1.7 to 3.4	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	4.8	4.1	1.17x	3.8 to 6.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	35.3	30.2	1.17xSignificant	32.5 to 38.4	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.9	3.4	1.15x	3 to 5	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5	4.4	1.14x	4 to 6.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.5	6.6	1.14x	6.3 to 8.9	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.5	11.3	1.11x	10.8 to 14.3	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	153	143.2	1.07xSignificant	146.9 to 159.2	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.6	6.2	1.06x	5.4 to 8.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5	4.8	1.04x	3.9 to 6.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	53.6	51.8	1.03x	50.1 to 57.3	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	3.7	3.7	1x	2.8 to 4.8	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	18.1	18.7	0.97x	16 to 20.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	435.6	453.4	0.96x	425.4 to 446	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.3	8.7	0.95x	7 to 9.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	12.7	13.9	0.91x	11 to 14.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	4.9	5.7	0.86x	3.8 to 6.2	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	2.3	2.7	0.85x	1.6 to 3.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	15	17.9	0.84x	13.1 to 17	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.3	18.5	0.83x	13.4 to 17.4	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.4	6.6	0.82x	4.3 to 6.7	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	3.7	4.6	0.8x	2.8 to 4.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	10.8	14.5	0.74x	9.2 to 12.6	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	8.5	13	0.65x	7.1 to 10.1	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	8.4	16.4	0.51x	5.3 to 12.6	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 York County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,297	9,842.6	-16%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.3	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	49.3	59.8	-18%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5.2	6.2	-16%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	107.1	96.9	+10%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	37.6	28.6	+32%	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.

Formaldehyde24.01 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.46 per million
Benzene1.22 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 361 days: 276 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 43, peak 93.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,603 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit1,123
Rail grade crossing103
Gas station (mapped facility)85
Air permit holder (minor source)82
Brownfield property38
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)38
Small hazardous waste generator31
TRI reporting facility29
Large hazardous waste generator21
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)17
EPA air quality monitor5
Scrapyard (mapped facility)5
Major air pollution source3
Public airport3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)3
Hazardous waste transporter3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Heliport2
Oil-fired power plant2
Superfund (NPL) site2
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Hydroelectric plant1
Nuclear 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.

Rock Hill Chemical Co., Rock Hill
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 40.3. NPL Site.
EPA site ID SCD980844005 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Leonard Chemical Co., Inc., Rock Hill
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 47.1. NPL Site.
EPA site ID SCD991279324 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
New-Indy Catawba Llc, Catawba
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Zinc compounds, Ammonia, Manganese compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 10,157,963 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29704BWTRC5300C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.9
Honeywell Safety Products, Clover
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Toluene, Lead compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,093,684 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29710SBNRTJACKS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.4
New-Indy Catawba Llc, Catawba
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $2,207,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000355035 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Sem Products Inc, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Methyl isobutyl ketone, Certain glycol ethers and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 68,736 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29730KNGSL1685O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Nation Ford Chemical Co, Fort Mill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Aniline, 1,2-Dichlorobenzene, Nitric acid, N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 46,717 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29715RMNDSBANKS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Huntsman, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Butyl alcohol, Methyl methacrylate, Epichlorohydrin and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 25,213 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2973WHNTSM88CEL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Gabriel Phenoxies Inc, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Butyl alcohol, Epichlorohydrin, 4,4'-Isopropylidenediphenol and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 12,910 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2973WGBRLP812CE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Honeywell Safety Products (North), Clover
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000355133 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
Inchem Corp, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Phthalic anhydride and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 9,408 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29730BSFST800CE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Inchem Corporation, Rock Hill
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $8,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071286335 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Cytec Engineered Materials Inc., Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen cyanide. 307,021 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29730MCPLY800CE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Atotech Usa Llc, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Formic acid, Nitric acid, Nickel compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,118 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29731TTCHS1750O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Harrell Industries Inc, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formic acid, Phenol, 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane, Copper compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 815 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29730HRRLL2495C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Steelfab Inc., York
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Propylene, Chromium, Nickel and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 674 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2974WCMSTL6371C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Cytec Engineered Materials Inc, Rock Hill
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000355213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Atotech Usa Inc, Rock Hill
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $46,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000355348 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Pbi Performance Products Inc, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Phenol. 16,851 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29730PBPRF2972C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Sem Products, Inc., Rock Hill
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001675492 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Nation Ford Chemical, Fort Mill
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000355151 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Duke Power Company Catawba Nuclear Station, York
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000702017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Fort Mill Wwtf, Fort Mill
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002040648 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
York Fishing Creek Wwtf, York
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039825589 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc, Rock Hill
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds, Sodium nitrite, Ammonia and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 87 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 29730SMSWD103RO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6

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 York 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 York 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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