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Amherst County, Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Amherst County is 167.3 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 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 151 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (55), Rail grade crossing (35), Air permit holder (minor source) (23). 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: 37.5999, -79.1631.

How this county ranks in Virginia

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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 Amherst County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	44.4	30.2	1.47xSignificant	36.5 to 53.8	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	23.9	18.7	1.28x	17.9 to 31.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	18.4	14.5	1.27x	12.9 to 25.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	63.6	51.8	1.23xSignificant	54 to 74.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	167.3	143.2	1.17xSignificant	151.4 to 184.7	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.5	8.7	1.09x	6.1 to 14.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12	11.3	1.06x	7.9 to 17.7	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	6	5.7	1.05x	3.4 to 10.2	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	453.2	453.4	1x	424.9 to 483.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.9	6.6	0.89x	3.4 to 10.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.4	13.9	0.89x	8.2 to 18.3	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	20.3	23.8	0.85x	14.4 to 28	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	14.5	17.9	0.81x	9.5 to 21.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.2	18.5	0.77x	9.4 to 20.8	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 Amherst County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	10,404.1	9,842.6	+6%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.5	75.3	+0%	years
Child mortality	50.6	59.8	-15%	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	111.5	96.9	+15%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	31.7	28.6	+11%	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.

Formaldehyde18.58 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde1.9 per million
Benzene0.99 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit55
Rail grade crossing35
Air permit holder (minor source)23
Gas station (mapped facility)14
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)5
Hydroelectric plant5
Small hazardous waste generator4
Public airport2
TRI reporting facility2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Major air pollution source1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Wastewater plant (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.

Greif Packaging Llc, Amherst
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Acetaldehyde, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,789,555 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24521VRGNFROUTE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Corrchoice, Llc, Amherst
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020680306 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Cooper Steel Of Virginia, Monroe
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper, Chromium, Lead and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 755 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24574LYNCHRT29N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Lynchburg Steel & Specialty Co Inc, Monroe
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020670870 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Amherst Co Service Auth - Henry Lanum Jr Wtp, Madison Heights
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,158.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070531202 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Corrchoice, Llc, Amherst
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020680306 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Amherst County Landfill, Madison Heights
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060771865 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Sonoco Recycling Inc - Madison Heights, Madison Heights
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070875415 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Corrchoice, Llc, Amherst
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020680306 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Virginia Auto Parts Inc, Madison Heights
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070874565 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Ellington Wood Products Inc, Amherst
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070876634 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Rutledge Creek Wwtp, Amherst
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008997103 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Superior Paving Corp- Piney River Asphalt Plant, Arrington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070875519 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Us Department Of Labor - Old Dominion Job Corps, Monroe
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010915974 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Amherst County Landfill, Madison Heights
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060771865 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Madison Heights Auto Parts, Madison Heights
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070875925 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
E F Fitzgerald Lumber, Amherst
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070876001 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Economic Development Authority Of Amherst County L, Madison Heights
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,290.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071509440 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Madison Heights Town Centre, Amherst County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071510545 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Amherst County Landfill, Madison Heights
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110060771865 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Wastewater Plant
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/1415444396 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
Amherst Co Service Authority Westbriar Subdivision, Amherst
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010913486 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Amherst County Landfill, Amherst
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013957129 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Clear Water Manufacturing, Madison Heights
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070924705 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
C&B Piping (E) Llc, Amherst
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071842477 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8

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 Amherst County

Virginia 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 Amherst County, and their findings.
Virginia vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Virginia health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Virginia 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.
Virginia 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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