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Petersburg city, Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Petersburg city is 245.3 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 2.1 times the U.S. rate and Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 186 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (54), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (44), Rail grade crossing (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: 37.2061, -77.391.

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 Petersburg city compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	64.2	30.2	2.13xSignificant	53.8 to 76.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	35.4	17.9	1.98xSignificant	27.4 to 45.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	245.3	143.2	1.71xSignificant	223.8 to 268.4	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	10.7	6.6	1.62xSignificant	6.8 to 16.3	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	10.5	6.6	1.59x	6.6 to 16.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	75.7	51.8	1.46xSignificant	64.6 to 88.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	19.7	13.9	1.42xSignificant	14 to 27.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	15.4	11.3	1.36x	10.4 to 22.1	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	520.8	453.4	1.15xSignificant	488.9 to 554.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.9	8.7	1.14x	6.2 to 15.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	20.8	18.7	1.11x	14.9 to 28.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	10.6	14.5	0.73x	6.3 to 16.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	13.1	18.5	0.71x	8.3 to 19.7	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 Petersburg city
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	24,086.5	9,842.6	+145%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	64.3	75.3	-15%	years
Child mortality	168.2	59.8	+181%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	10.9	6.2	+76%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	202.9	96.9	+109%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	112.1	28.6	+292%	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.

Formaldehyde20.97 per million
Ethylene Oxide3.66 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde2.1 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)54
NPDES wastewater discharge permit44
Rail grade crossing23
Gas station (mapped facility)20
Small hazardous waste generator12
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)10
TRI reporting facility8
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
Large hazardous waste generator3
Brownfield property2
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries Lp, Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Dichloromethane, Methyl tert-butyl ether, Acetonitrile and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 10,968 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23805LLBRT2999F (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries Lp, Petersburg
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $160,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342451 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Bleach Tech Llc, Petersburg
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $271,174.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038263456 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Valmont - Virginia Galvanizing, Petersburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000496473 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Valmont-Virginia Galvanizing Inc, Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds. 8,856 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23805NDSTR3535H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Dominion Chemical Co Inc, Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 2,500 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23803DMNNC2050P (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Pre Con Inc, Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Cyclohexane. 1,652 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23803PRCNN220SP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Amsted Rail Co Inc, Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Nickel, Chromium, Manganese. Reports carcinogens. 12 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23804BRNCNPETER (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Dominion Chemical Company, Petersburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001892685 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Pre Con Inc, Petersburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342433 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Bleachtech Llc, Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Chlorine. 305 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23805BLCHT22BES (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.9
Pre Con Inc., Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 2380WPRCNN321BR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries Lp, Petersburg
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $160,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342451 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Amsted Rail Company Incorporated, Petersburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005218576 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Boar'S Head Petersburg Facility, Petersburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012168395 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Pre Con, Inc., Petersburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110062924448 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Boar'S Head Provisions Co. Inc., Petersburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 23805BRSHD195IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.6
Valmont - Virginia Galvanizing, Petersburg
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000496473 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bleach Tech Llc, Petersburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $271,174.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038263456 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Phlow Corp. Petersburg Facility, Petersburg
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072040777 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Roper Brothers Lumber , Petersburg
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031259929 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
18 E. Bank & 226 2nd Street, Petersburg
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072111273 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries Lp, Petersburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $160,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000342451 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
South Central Wastewater Authority, Petersburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008192918 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Petersburg City Landfill, Petersburg
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013962122 (U.S. EPA ECHO) 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 Petersburg 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 Petersburg 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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