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Bristol city, Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Bristol city is 187.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Leukemia deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 144 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (36), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (34), Gas station (mapped facility) (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: 36.6359, -82.116.

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 Bristol city compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	Deaths	10.5	5.7	1.84xSignificant	6 to 18.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	54.2	30.2	1.79xSignificant	42.5 to 68.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	187.5	143.2	1.31xSignificant	164.4 to 213.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	60.9	51.8	1.18x	48.3 to 76.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.3	11.3	1.09x	6.9 to 21	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.4	13.9	0.89x	6.9 to 21.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	14.1	17.9	0.79x	7.7 to 24.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	315.8	453.4	0.7x	283.8 to 350.8	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 Bristol city
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,792.8	9,842.6	+30%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.7	75.3	-5%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	112.3	96.9	+16%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	33.1	28.6	+16%	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.

Formaldehyde18.39 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.81 per million
Acetaldehyde1.83 per million
Benzene1.08 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 109 days: 85 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 34, peak 61.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)36
NPDES wastewater discharge permit34
Gas station (mapped facility)23
Rail grade crossing15
Brownfield property10
Small hazardous waste generator8
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Heliport2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Biomass 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.

Strongwell Corp Bristol, Bristol
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Antimony. Reports carcinogens. 151,604 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24203MRRSN400CO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Strongwell Corporation/Bristol Division, Bristol
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343398 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Associated Asphalt Bristol Llc, Bristol
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 42 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2420WSSCTD1SPUR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Associated Asphalt Bristol, Llc, Bristol
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001890357 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Bristol Virginia Integrated Solid Waste Facility, Bristol
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020669463 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Line Power, Bristol
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 3 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2420WLNPWR115NR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
John Battle High School, Bristol
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 515200006 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.4
Shearers Food Llc, Bristol
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Manganese compounds. 31 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2420WSHRRS1445P (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.2
Line Power Manufacturing Corporation, Bristol
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071956336 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
Strongwell Corporation/Bristol Division, Bristol
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343398 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Federal Pacific Transformer, Bristol
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002452765 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Bristol Virginia Integrated Solid Waste Facility, Bristol
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110020669463 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Shearers Food Llc, Bristol
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071285526 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Strongwell Corporation/Bristol Division, Bristol
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343398 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Strongwell Corporation/Bristol Division, Bristol
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343398 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Federal Pacific, Bristol
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium.
TRI facility ID 24203FDRLPOLDAI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Gordon Garment, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001902576 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Beaver Creek Redevelopment, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041260970 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Southern States, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061883813 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Euclid Center, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071972527 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
33 Moore Street, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071972530 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
305 Piedmont Avenue, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071974378 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
309-317 Piedmont Avenue, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071974379 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Social Services Building, Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071974652 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Fairview Street Properties , Bristol
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071986206 (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.

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Bristol city

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 Bristol city, 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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