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Marion County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Marion County is 185.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 882 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (741), Rail grade crossing (42), Gas station (mapped facility) (31). 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: 39.5142, -80.2629.

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 Marion County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	Deaths	6.7	3.7	1.81xSignificant	4.3 to 10	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	50	30.2	1.66xSignificant	43.2 to 57.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	83.7	51.8	1.62xSignificant	74.8 to 93.5	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	7.1	4.4	1.61xSignificant	4.5 to 10.8	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	8.3	5.7	1.46x	5.7 to 11.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	25.9	17.9	1.45xSignificant	20.5 to 32.2	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	6.4	4.6	1.39x	4.1 to 9.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.6	6.2	1.39x	5.6 to 12.6	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5.4	4.1	1.32x	3.3 to 8.4	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	16.9	13	1.3x	12.2 to 22.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	185.4	143.2	1.29xSignificant	171.9 to 199.7	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	28.5	23.8	1.2x	22.9 to 35.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	22.1	18.5	1.19x	17.5 to 27.7	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	537	453.4	1.18xSignificant	512.8 to 562	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	21.3	18.7	1.14x	17 to 26.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.8	11.3	1.13x	9.5 to 17.1	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	16.4	14.5	1.13x	12.4 to 21.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.1	4.8	1.06x	3.1 to 8	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	14.4	13.9	1.04x	10.7 to 19	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.8	6.6	1.03x	4.4 to 10.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.3	6.6	0.95x	4.1 to 9.5	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.9	8.7	0.91x	5.4 to 11.4	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 Marion County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,152.7	9,842.6	+13%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.5	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	46.4	59.8	-22%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5.7	6.2	-9%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	120.7	96.9	+24%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	61.9	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
Carbon Tetrachloride2.89 per million
Benzene2.81 per million
Acetaldehyde1.78 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 120 days: 89 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 37, peak 71.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit741
Rail grade crossing42
Gas station (mapped facility)31
Brownfield property22
Air permit holder (minor source)12
Small hazardous waste generator7
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Major air pollution source4
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Scrapyard (mapped facility)3
TRI reporting facility3
Public airport2
Superfund (NPL) site2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Coal power 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.

Sharon Steel Corp (Fairmont Coke Works), Fairmont
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 57.1. NPL Site.
EPA site ID WVD000800441 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Big John Salvage - Hoult Road, Fairmont
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 48.6. NPL Site.
EPA site ID WVD054827944 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
American Bituminous Power Partners Lp, Grant Town
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Manganese compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 693,222 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26574MRCNBRTE17 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
American Bituminous Power Partners Lp, Grant Town
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007881998 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Marion County Coal Resources Inc., Mannington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Mercury. Reports carcinogens. 67,903 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2658WTHMRN151JH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Grant Town Power Plant, Grant Town
Coal power plant.
Record ID 10151 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 6.1
Fairmont Wastewater Treatment Plant, Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000751892 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Marion County Mine, Metz
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060280011 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
American Bituminous Power Partners Lp, Grant Town
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007881998 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Worthington Town Of, Worthington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $19,463.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010852826 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Scenic Ridge Apts., Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010881153 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Fairmont Rv Resort, Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $79,040.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071077027 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Helmick Corp, Fairmont
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 9 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26554HLMCK8THBE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Novelis Corp, Fairmont
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000344985 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
American Bituminous Power Partners Lp, Grant Town
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007881998 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Novelis Corp, Fairmont
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Manganese. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 26555LCNRLSPEED (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.8
MARION HEALTH CARE HOSPITAL, Fairmont
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 540490006 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.7
Novelis Corp, Fairmont
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000344985 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Mannington City Of, Mannington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010866474 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Shinnston Water Treatment Plant, Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010868846 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Junglewood Property Owners Assoc, Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010882795 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Cedar Gables, Llc, Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010883525 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Middletown Mall Site Improvements, Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046128258 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
I79 Exit 139 Property, Fairmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064579941 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Grant Town Power Plant, Grant Town
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070560439 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5

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 Marion 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 Marion 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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