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Jefferson County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jefferson County is 172.7 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 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 379 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (235), Rail grade crossing (63), Brownfield property (21). 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: 39.3159, -77.8608.

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 Jefferson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	Deaths	6.5	4.1	1.59x	4 to 10.1	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	5.6	3.7	1.51x	3.5 to 8.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	45.2	30.2	1.5xSignificant	38.6 to 52.6	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.9	4.8	1.44x	4.4 to 10.4	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.6	3.4	1.35x	2.7 to 7.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	69.4	51.8	1.34xSignificant	61.2 to 78.5	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	24.7	18.7	1.32xSignificant	19.9 to 30.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	5.9	4.6	1.28x	3.6 to 9.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.9	5.7	1.21x	4.5 to 10.2	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	172.7	143.2	1.21xSignificant	159.4 to 186.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	477.3	453.4	1.05xSignificant	454.8 to 500.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.6	18.5	1.01x	14.3 to 23.8	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.4	4.4	1x	2.5 to 7.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.6	8.7	0.99x	5.9 to 12.2	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.5	17.9	0.98x	13.5 to 22.6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.2	6.6	0.94x	3.9 to 9.3	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	12.2	13	0.94x	8.5 to 16.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	22.2	23.8	0.93x	17.5 to 27.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.5	11.3	0.93x	7.5 to 14.3	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.3	14.5	0.92x	9.7 to 17.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	12.2	13.9	0.88x	8.9 to 16.3	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.5	6.6	0.83x	3.3 to 8.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	4.9	6.2	0.79x	3 to 7.7	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 Jefferson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,061.6	9,842.6	-8%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.9	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	37.4	59.8	-37%	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	112.2	96.9	+16%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	54.9	28.6	+92%	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.

Formaldehyde19.46 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde2.09 per million
Benzene1.47 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit235
Rail grade crossing63
Brownfield property21
Gas station (mapped facility)18
Air permit holder (minor source)9
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)7
Small hazardous waste generator6
TRI reporting facility6
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)4
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Major air pollution source1
Public airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
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.

Rockwoolusa, Kearneysville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Lead compounds. 368,596 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2543WRCKWL665NR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Rockwoolusa, Kearneysville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071201944 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Us Customs And Border Protection, Harpers Ferry
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039589371 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Blake Solar, Charles Town
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $193,780.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071338769 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Us Cbp Advanced Training Center # Wv0002, Harpers Ferry
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 13 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2542WHRPRS44KNC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Charles Town Utility Board, Charles Town
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039979761 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Wvaw - Cave Quarter Utility-Treatment Plant, Charles Town
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010879905 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races, Charles Town
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070055258 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Griffith Energy Services Inc-Charlestown, Charles Town
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Naphthalene, Xylene (mixed isomers). Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 25414GRFFTMARTI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Courtney Auto Parts, Harpers Ferry
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007874951 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Kable Bulk Plant, Charles Town
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010850533 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Corporation Of Harpers Ferry, Harpers Ferry
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010868542 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Summit Point Salvage Yard, Summit Point
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031112123 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Strugglebuggy, L.L.C Dba Cody'S Salvage, Kearneysville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043528475 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Lowe Products Company, Inc., Shepherdstown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044954332 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Jefferson Cnty Hq, Kearneysville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046600433 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Creo Manufacturing America Llc, Middleway
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046604279 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Usa Parts Supply, Kearneysville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064517624 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Avw Of West Virginia, Inc, Kearneysville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069996739 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Automated Merchandising Sys Inc, Kearneysville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002098159 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ufp Ranson Llc, Ranson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007879297 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Oakhill Mhc, Harpers Ferry
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010882606 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Griffith Energy Services Inc-Charlestown, Charles Town
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015583732 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
John Bane Farms, Kearneysville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070392740 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Automated Merchandising Systems Inc., Kearneysville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Diisocyanates. 10 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 25430TMTDM109WB (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.8

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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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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