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Braxton County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Braxton County is 168.7 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 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 331 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (164), Rail grade crossing (105), Brownfield property (13). 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: 38.6903, -80.7474.

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 Braxton County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	New cases	83.6	51.8	1.61xSignificant	66.5 to 104.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	43.5	30.2	1.44xSignificant	32 to 59.1	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24.9	17.9	1.39x	16 to 38.3	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	25.1	18.7	1.34x	16.2 to 38.3	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	30.1	23.8	1.26x	19.3 to 45.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	168.7	143.2	1.18xSignificant	144.1 to 197.2	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	522.3	453.4	1.15xSignificant	476 to 572.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.9	14.5	1.1x	9.1 to 27	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16	18.5	0.86x	9 to 27.5	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 Braxton County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,079.2	9,842.6	+23%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.5	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	169.2	96.9	+75%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	68.2	28.6	+138%	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.

Formaldehyde15.74 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.88 per million
Acetaldehyde1.57 per million
Benzene0.97 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit164
Rail grade crossing105
Brownfield property13
Gas station (mapped facility)13
Small hazardous waste generator11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)9
Air permit holder (minor source)5
Major air pollution source3
Large hazardous waste generator2
TRI reporting facility2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Public airport1
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.

Weyerhaeuser Nr Co - Sutton Osb, Heaters
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Diisocyanates, Manganese compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 107,915 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26627WYRHSUSHWY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Appalachian Timber Services Llc, Sutton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Creosote, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens. 10,458 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26601PPLCHOLDFA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Appalachian Timber Services, Llc, Sutton
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $39,681.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057350940 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Appalachian Timber Services, Llc, Sutton, Sutton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000345001 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Weyerhaeuser Co Sutton Mi Ll, Heaters
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000586189 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Meadows Stone & Paving - Asphalt Plant, Gassaway
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007887322 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Frametown Elementary School, Frametown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010875794 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Lloyd'S Development, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010878737 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Burnsville Trailer Park, Burnsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010881279 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Rowan Mobile Home Park, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037519753 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Flatwoods-Canoe Run Public Service District, Gassaway
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010860078 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Coastal Coal-West Virginia Llc, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010863431 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Erbacon Prop Plant / Jackson Bridge Mines, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010863887 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Sugar Creek Psd, Frametown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010866599 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Flatwoods Canoe Run Psd, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010869015 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Brooks Run Main Office, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014434068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Deep Mine #5, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069602512 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Little Birch Elementary School, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070201201 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Mine 1 & 14, Refuse Area 1b, Prep Plant No. 2, Wolf Creek Hr, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010852292 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Brooks Run Mining Company, Llc, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010863306 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Mine 4a, Sutton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010863930 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Mine 3a, Erbacon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010863949 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Burnsville Public Utility Board, Burnsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010866465 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Servia I-79 Rest Area, Frametown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010880190 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
10a Mine, Saylor A Mine, Saylor B Mine, Little Birch
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069578638 (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.

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Braxton 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 Braxton 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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