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Buchanan County, Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Buchanan County is 198.4 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 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 525 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (359), Rail grade crossing (77), Air permit holder (minor source) (59). One correctional facility operates in the county. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 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: 37.2886, -82.0619.

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 Buchanan County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	10.6	6.6	1.61x	5.9 to 18.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	47.5	30.2	1.57xSignificant	37.4 to 60.1	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	198.4	143.2	1.39xSignificant	176.7 to 222.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	13	11.3	1.15x	8 to 20.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	49.4	51.8	0.95x	39.1 to 62.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	12.9	14.5	0.89x	7.3 to 21.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	9.9	13.9	0.71x	5.8 to 16.7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	12.5	17.9	0.7x	7.5 to 20.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	305.4	453.4	0.67x	276.8 to 336.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	15.2	23.8	0.64x	8.8 to 24.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	9.6	18.7	0.51x	5.5 to 16.4	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 Buchanan County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	16,804.1	9,842.6	+71%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	69.4	75.3	-8%	years
Child mortality	78.5	59.8	+31%	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	135.3	96.9	+40%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	58.5	28.6	+105%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde16.51 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.81 per million
Acetaldehyde1.59 per million
Benzene1.28 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit359
Rail grade crossing77
Air permit holder (minor source)59
Gas station (mapped facility)12
Small hazardous waste generator4
Major air pollution source3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Industrial wastewater discharge2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Gas 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.

Jewell Coke Co Lp, Oakwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrogen fluoride, Lead And Lead Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 7,085,240 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24656JWLLCHWY46 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.8
Jewell Coke Company Coke Plants 2 And 3, Vansant
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $30,168.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060335524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Laurel Branch Surface Mine, Hurley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070883285 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Buchanan No. 1 Mine, Keen Mountain
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070928720 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Buchanan Preparation Plant Facility, Mavisdale
Major air pollution source. Penalties $26,819.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000607763 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Jewell Coke Company Coke Plants 2 And 3, Vansant
Major air pollution source. Penalties $30,168.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060335524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Amonate Plant And Mines, Oakwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070259769 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Harpers Branch Slurry Impoundment Facility, Big Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070924084 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Harpers Branch Refuse Facility, Vansant
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070924161 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
S5 Aily Branch Surface Mine, Jewell Valley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070924772 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Jones Fork Surface Mine #4, Whitewood/Jewell Valley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070924931 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Three Forks Surface Mine, Duty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070926574 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Buckeye Branch/Caney Fork Remining, Big Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070927091 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Bee Branch Surface Mine, Hurley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070927359 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Sycamore Strip, Hurley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070927947 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Rocklick - Splashdam Ug Mine, Big Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070928256 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Jones Fork #2 Mine, Jewell Valley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070928658 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Abners Fork Glamorgan Mine, Hurley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070929549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Meridian #2 Mine, Whitewood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070929862 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Burning Knob #1, Hurley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070930264 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Buchanan Preparation Plant Facility, Mavisdale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $26,819.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000607763 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Jewell Coke Company Coke Plants 2 And 3, Vansant
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $30,168.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060335524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Jscc #12, Leemaster
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070917519 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Long Branch Surface-Blair, Hurley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070924842 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Convict Hollow East Mine, Maxie
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070925282 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4

Correctional facilities

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

Keen Mountain Correctional Center, Oakwood
EPA FRS registry ID
110022450569
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Buchanan 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 Buchanan 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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