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Emporia city, Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Emporia city is 192.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 64 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Gas station (mapped facility) (20), Rail grade crossing (15), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (9). 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: 36.6954, -77.5349.

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 Emporia city compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	48.3	30.2	1.6x	28.7 to 77.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	192.2	143.2	1.34xSignificant	148.2 to 245.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	61.9	51.8	1.19x	40.1 to 92.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	505.7	453.4	1.12x	432.4 to 588.5	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 Emporia city
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	21,097.6	9,842.6	+114%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	66.8	75.3	-11%	years
Child mortality	169.5	59.8	+184%	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	126.5	96.9	+31%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	61	28.6	+113%	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.

Formaldehyde19.9 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde2.1 per million
Benzene1.19 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Gas station (mapped facility)20
Rail grade crossing15
NPDES wastewater discharge permit9
Air permit holder (minor source)8
Brownfield property3
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Small hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Hydroelectric 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.

Steelfab Inc Of Virginia, Emporia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Manganese, Nickel, Copper and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 20,471 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23847STFBF1510R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Georgia Pacific Wood Products - Emporia - Plywood, Emporia
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $2,788.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010917213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Georgia Pacific Wood Products Llc Emporia Plywood, Emporia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds. 132,623 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23847GRGPCDAVIS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Steelfab Of Virginia, Inc., Emporia
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $5,364.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342576 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Creative Playthings Ltd., Emporia
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024886943 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Georgia Pacific Wood Products - Emporia - Plywood, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,788.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010917213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Southampton Textile Company, Emporia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071724157 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Emporia Elementary School, Emporia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071978793 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Emporia Rail Depot, Emporia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072197558 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Emporia, City Of, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006620889 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Creative Playthings Ltd., Emporia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds.
TRI facility ID 23847CRTVP859IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Georgia Pacific Wood Products - Emporia - Plywood, Emporia
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $2,788.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010917213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Steelfab Of Virginia, Inc., Emporia
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $5,364.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342576 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Steelfab Of Virginia, Inc., Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,364.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342576 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Steelfab Of Virginia, Inc., Emporia
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $5,364.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342576 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Emporia Wtp, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010917197 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Emporia, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064256610 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Rosie'S Gaming Emporium, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071501782 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Gmf Aquatics Center, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071505728 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Chick-Fil-A, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071784657 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Waffle House Emporia Va, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072246119 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Low Ground Road, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 623642K (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
E Atlantic Street, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 623755R (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Southampton Street, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 623756X (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Hicksford Avenue, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 623758L (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3

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 Emporia 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 Emporia 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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