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Wythe County, Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Wythe County is 175.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 253 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (83), Air permit holder (minor source) (61), Rail grade crossing (37). 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: 36.9167, -81.0593.

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 Wythe County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	39	30.2	1.29xSignificant	31.2 to 48.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	7.3	5.7	1.28x	4.2 to 12.3	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	22.7	17.9	1.27x	16.4 to 31	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	175.5	143.2	1.23xSignificant	157.8 to 194.8	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	22.5	18.7	1.2x	16.8 to 30.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	58.4	51.8	1.13x	48.6 to 69.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12	11.3	1.06x	7.8 to 18	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.3	18.5	1.04x	13.4 to 27.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	24.6	23.8	1.03x	18.2 to 32.8	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	456.9	453.4	1.01x	427.2 to 488.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.3	8.7	0.95x	5 to 13.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	11.9	13.9	0.86x	7.7 to 18	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	11.4	14.5	0.79x	7 to 17.9	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9.7	13	0.75x	5.4 to 16.3	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 Wythe County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,204.8	9,842.6	+24%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.6	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	70	59.8	+17%	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	96.9	96.9	-0%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	27.1	28.6	-5%	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.

Formaldehyde14.94 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.76 per million
Acetaldehyde1.4 per million
Benzene0.73 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 239 days: 225 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 39, peak 77.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit83
Air permit holder (minor source)61
Rail grade crossing37
Gas station (mapped facility)33
Small hazardous waste generator18
Brownfield property4
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Large hazardous waste generator2
Hazardous waste transporter2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
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.

Wytheville Wwtp, Wytheville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $9,570.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006179223 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Wabtec Components, Wytheville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Zinc compounds, Lead compounds. 9,781 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24382RQPCR655FA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Hutchinson Sealing Systems Inc, Wytheville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds. 3,430 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 24382KNGST1150S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Hutchinson Sealing Systems North Amer Inc, Wytheville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000343619 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Wabtec Components Llc, Wytheville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024528698 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Coperion Corporation, Wytheville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070206987 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Wythe Recycling Inc, Max Meadows
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070875886 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Blue Star Nbr Llc, Wytheville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071442467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Coperion Corp, Wytheville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium.
TRI facility ID 2438WCPRNC196AP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Former Max Meadows School, Max Meadows
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071971800 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Arby'S Restaurant, Wytheville
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071978786 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Millwald Theater, Wytheville
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071982187 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
140 South 1st Street, Wytheville
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071984557 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Fort Chiswell Wwtp, Max Meadows
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009767582 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Rural Retreat Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rural Retreat
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,412.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009768670 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Foster Falls Wwtp, Foster Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040045340 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Coperion Corporation, Wytheville
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070206987 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Blue Star Nbr Llc, Wytheville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071442467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Coalfield Services - Old Shop, Wytheville
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072118889 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Xpo Logistics Freight Inc - Nwy, Wytheville
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110062924411 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Xpo Logistics Freight Inc - Nwy, Wytheville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110062924411 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Lane Enterprises Lot 31 Progress Park, Wytheville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070604106 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Loves Travel Stop 239, Max Meadows
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $8,268.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015314337 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Musser Lumber Sales Inc, Rural Retreat
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,760.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054203189 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Ball Ryan Residence Stp, Max Meadows
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070600096 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5

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, Wytheville
EPA FRS registry ID
110071904599
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Wythe 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 Wythe 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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