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Berkeley County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Berkeley County is 191.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Bladder deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate and Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 620 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (392), Rail grade crossing (72), Gas station (mapped facility) (36). 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: 39.4439, -78.026.

How this county ranks in West 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 Berkeley County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	Deaths	7.2	4.1	1.76xSignificant	5.2 to 9.6	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	5.9	3.4	1.74xSignificant	4.2 to 8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	48.6	30.2	1.61xSignificant	43.6 to 53.9	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	7.2	4.8	1.5xSignificant	5.3 to 9.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	74.1	51.8	1.43xSignificant	68 to 80.7	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.6	6.2	1.39xSignificant	6.5 to 11.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.8	5.7	1.37xSignificant	5.8 to 10.3	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	191.4	143.2	1.34xSignificant	181 to 202.2	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	21.7	18.7	1.16x	18.3 to 25.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.5	17.9	1.15x	17.3 to 24.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.9	8.7	1.14x	7.8 to 12.5	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5	4.4	1.14x	3.5 to 6.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.4	6.6	1.12x	5.5 to 9.7	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.2	2	1.1x	1.3 to 3.6	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.3	11.3	1.09x	9.9 to 15.2	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	485.2	453.4	1.07xSignificant	468.9 to 502	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.7	13.9	1.06x	11.9 to 17.8	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	3.9	3.7	1.05x	2.6 to 5.7	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	4.8	4.6	1.04x	3.4 to 6.8	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	13.2	13	1.02x	10.5 to 16.4	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	16.6	16.4	1.01x	10.1 to 25.6	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	2.7	2.7	1x	1.6 to 4.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.6	18.5	0.95x	14.5 to 21	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.6	14.5	0.94x	10.9 to 16.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	21.4	23.8	0.9x	18 to 25.2	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.3	6.6	0.8x	3.7 to 7.3	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 Berkeley County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,451.4	9,842.6	+16%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.3	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	63.9	59.8	+7%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.8	6.2	+9%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	140.9	96.9	+45%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	77.3	28.6	+170%	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.

Formaldehyde19.97 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde2.19 per million
Naphthalene1.72 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 269 days: 225 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 39, peak 87.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit392
Rail grade crossing72
Gas station (mapped facility)36
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)21
Small hazardous waste generator13
TRI reporting facility13
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)13
Brownfield property12
Air permit holder (minor source)11
Large hazardous waste generator9
Major air pollution source7
Public airport4
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Heliport2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Hazardous waste transporter1
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.

Argos Usa - Martinsburg, Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Ammonia, Naphthalene, Hydrogen cyanide and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 227,315 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25401CPTLCSOUTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Maax Us Corp., Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methyl methacrylate. Reports carcinogens. 112,327 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25401KRPLS2011M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Argos Usa - Martinsburg, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $163,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000585929 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Maax U.S. Corp, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040877806 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Continental Brick - Martinsburg Facility, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008055077 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Knauf Insulation Inc., Inwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, n-Hexane, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds and 2 more. 811,665 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25428GRDNFI81TA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Continental Brick Co, Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen fluoride, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size). 349,121 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25401CNTNN154CH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Quad/Graphics Inc, Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Certain glycol ethers, Copper compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) and 2 more. 331,407 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25401QDGRP855CA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Guardian Fiberglass, Inc., Inwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041052339 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.1
Oh/ Inw/ Bh/ Ne 001-004, Martinsburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $518,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015983328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Martinsburg City Of Wwtp, Martinsburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $50,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007872533 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Griffith Energy Services, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012291545 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Procter & Gamble Tabler Station Manufacturing Plant, Inwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[g]-2-benzopyran, Zinc compounds, 1,4-Dioxane and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 326 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2542WPRCTR396DE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Quad/Graphics, Inc, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000344388 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Concrete Pipe & Precast Llc-Martinsburg Precast Plant, Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 128 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2540WMRCSTCRNIN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Associated Asphalt Martinsburg Llc, Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 127 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25405SSCTD855CR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Chem-Pak Inc, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012177839 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Argos Usa - Martinsburg, Martinsburg
Major air pollution source. Penalties $163,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000585929 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Chem-Pak Inc, Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 5,582 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25401CHMPK242CO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Associated Asphalt Martinsburg, Llc, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110029527778 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Ecolab Inc, Martinsburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Peracetic acid, Nitrilotriacetic acid trisodium salt, Ammonia and 4 more. 3,737 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25401CLBNC942BA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Ecolab Inc, Martinsburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005575779 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Argos Usa - Martinsburg, Martinsburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $163,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000585929 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Gantt'S Excavating & Contracting Inc, Martinsburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $20,040.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038917642 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Rameys Used Auto Parts, Bunker Hill
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,430.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069996144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5

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 Berkeley County

West 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 Berkeley County, and their findings.
West 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.
West Virginia health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
West 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.
West 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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