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Hancock County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Hancock County is 173.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 2.2 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 159 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (58), Brownfield property (31), Rail grade crossing (30). 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: 40.5169, -80.5703.

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 Hancock County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	Deaths	8.2	3.7	2.22xSignificant	4.8 to 13.5	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	13	6.2	2.1xSignificant	7.5 to 20.9	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	7.2	4.6	1.57x	4.2 to 12.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	46.6	30.2	1.54xSignificant	38.4 to 56.4	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	17.8	13	1.37x	11.2 to 26.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	66.7	51.8	1.29xSignificant	56.8 to 78.2	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	8.3	6.6	1.26x	5 to 13.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	173.1	143.2	1.21xSignificant	156.4 to 191.4	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	21.9	18.7	1.17x	16.6 to 29	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	497.7	453.4	1.1xSignificant	467.5 to 529.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	25.2	23.8	1.06x	18.7 to 33.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.7	11.3	1.04x	7.9 to 17.2	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	14.2	13.9	1.02x	10 to 20.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.8	18.5	0.96x	12.6 to 24.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.2	14.5	0.91x	8.3 to 20.2	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	15.1	17.9	0.84x	10.4 to 21.8	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 Hancock County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,479.4	9,842.6	+27%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.6	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	64.1	59.8	+7%	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	126.3	96.9	+30%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	62.1	28.6	+117%	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.

Formaldehyde17.29 per million
Coke Oven Emissions4.56 per million
Benzene3.11 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 255 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 42, peak 101.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit58
Brownfield property31
Rail grade crossing30
Gas station (mapped facility)8
Air permit holder (minor source)6
Large hazardous waste generator5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
TRI reporting facility4
Major air pollution source2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Airfield1
Public airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1

Highest-severity records

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

Ergon Wv Inc., Newell
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $57,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110027982565 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.3
Ergon West Virginia Inc, Newell
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), n-Hexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 197,242 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26050RGNWSSTATE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Cleveland-Cliffs Weirton Llc, Weirton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Cyanide compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Lead And Lead Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 37,499 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26062RCLRM1PENN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Homer Laughlin China Co, Newell
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Cobalt compounds. Reports carcinogens. 1,212 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26050HMRLGSIXTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Ergon Wv Inc., Newell
Major air pollution source. Penalties $57,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110027982565 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Arcelormittal Weirton, Weirton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057387420 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Ergon Wv Inc., Newell
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $57,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110027982565 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Ergon Wv Inc., Newell
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $57,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110027982565 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Mittal Steel Usa Weirton Inc, Weirton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000492618 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Campbell Transportation, Newell
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007886109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Linde, Llc #315, New Cumberland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,900,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070070527 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Mittal Steel Usa Weirton Inc, Weirton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000492618 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
, Weirton
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 540290009 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.8
Newchem, New Cumberland
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010720229 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Homer Laughlin China, Newell
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000586054 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Congo Corporation, Chester
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001930698 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
New Cumberland City Of, New Cumberland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010866517 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Chester City Of, Chester
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010867053 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Eureka Iron And Metals, Weirton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010869881 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Bel Mesa Manor, New Cumberland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010879610 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Globe Mine/Npdes Only, Newell
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070259636 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Form Energy, Weirton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071901253 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
Homer Laughlin China, Newell
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110000586054 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Campbell Transportation, Newell
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007886109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Deer Run Mobile Home Park, New Cumberland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010849172 (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 Hancock 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 Hancock 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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