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Bedford County, Virginia: environmental and disease records

Federal databases place 343 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (143), Air permit holder (minor source) (57), Rail grade crossing (42). 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: 37.3112, -79.566.

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 Bedford County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	New cases	5.9	4.6	1.28x	4 to 8.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	27.6	23.8	1.16x	23.1 to 32.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	57.5	51.8	1.11x	51.8 to 63.7	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	20.7	18.7	1.11x	17.3 to 24.7	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	424.4	453.4	0.94x	407.5 to 442	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.2	14.5	0.91x	10.3 to 16.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.9	18.5	0.86x	12.6 to 19.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	11.5	13.9	0.83x	9 to 14.5	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5	6.2	0.81x	3 to 7.7	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.1	13	0.78x	7.3 to 13.6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.7	8.7	0.77x	4.9 to 9	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	4.7	6.6	0.71x	3.1 to 7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	12.5	17.9	0.7x	9.6 to 16.1	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 Bedford County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,448.8	9,842.6	-14%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	51	59.8	-15%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.5	6.2	+4%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	97.1	96.9	+0%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	31.1	28.6	+9%	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.

Formaldehyde18.96 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde1.94 per million
Benzene0.96 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit143
Air permit holder (minor source)57
Rail grade crossing42
Gas station (mapped facility)35
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)14
Brownfield property13
Small hazardous waste generator9
Public airport7
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
TRI reporting facility4
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Major air pollution source1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Biomass power plant1
Hydroelectric plant1
Oil-fired power plant1
Solar power 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.

Gp Big Island Llc, Big Island
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Manganese compounds, Acetaldehyde, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,436,071 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24526NKSPCHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.4
Wheelabrator Abrasives Inc, Bedford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Lead, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 2,764 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24523WHLBR1ABRA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Gp Big Island Llc, Big Island
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343922 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.1
Custom Truck One Source, Forest
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel, Manganese, Copper and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,327 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2455WCSTMT1266E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Blue Ridge Wood Preserving Incorporated, Moneta
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343913 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Custom Truck One Source, Forest
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070543849 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Bedford Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bedford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $9,570.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002053731 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Safety-Kleen Systems Vinton (Roa), Vinton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Lead, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens. 8 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24179SFTYKRTE24 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.2
Bedford County Schools - Stewartsville Elementary, Goodview
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $6,542.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001896556 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Bedford County Schools - Otter River Elem School, Goode
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $4,050.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010917035 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Bedford County Schools - Stewartsville Elementary, Goodview
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $6,542.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001896556 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Woodhaven Nursing Home, Montvale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009767617 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Bedford County Schools - Otter River Elem School, Goode
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $4,050.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010917035 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Safety-Kleen Systems - Vinton Facility (315501), Vinton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000585563 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.2
Orange Street G1, Bedford
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 63173 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Gp Big Island Llc, Big Island
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343922 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Staunton River High School, Moneta
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $8,493.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001897181 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Pc Oak Village Mhc Stp, Vinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,035.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010914029 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Moneta Regional Wwtp, Moneta
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025198765 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Blue Ridge Wood Preserving Incorporated, Moneta
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343913 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Gp Big Island Llc, Big Island
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343922 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Staunton River High School, Moneta
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $8,493.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001897181 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Lyondellbasell Advanced Polymers Inc, Bedford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070524090 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bedford City Schools - Bedford Middle School, Bedford
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012500828 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Wheelabrator Abrasives Inc, Bedford
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020680271 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3

Correctional facilities

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

New Facility For Virginia Department Of Correction, Bedford
EPA FRS registry ID
110071662347
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Bedford 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 Bedford 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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