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McDowell County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in McDowell County is 213.2 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 2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 384 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (232), Rail grade crossing (87), Air permit holder (minor source) (24). 4 correctional facilities operate in the county. 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: 37.375, -81.6358.

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 McDowell County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	59.8	30.2	1.98xSignificant	47.6 to 74.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	89.8	51.8	1.73xSignificant	75 to 107.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	213.2	143.2	1.49xSignificant	188.6 to 240.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	15.8	11.3	1.4x	9.9 to 24.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	15.5	13.9	1.12x	9.7 to 24.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	460	453.4	1.01x	422.8 to 499.9	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.4	17.9	0.97x	10.6 to 27.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.3	18.5	0.77x	8.1 to 23.7	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	13.3	18.7	0.71x	8 to 21.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	13.5	23.8	0.57x	7.5 to 22.8	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 McDowell County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	24,029	9,842.6	+144%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	65.1	75.3	-14%	years
Child mortality	83.2	59.8	+39%	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	268.6	96.9	+177%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	180.7	28.6	+532%	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.

Formaldehyde15.28 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.81 per million
Acetaldehyde1.46 per million
Benzene0.93 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit232
Rail grade crossing87
Air permit holder (minor source)24
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Brownfield property6
Small hazardous waste generator6
Correctional facility (prison or jail)4
Major air pollution source3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Landfill (mapped facility)3
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)1

Highest-severity records

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

Welch City Of, Welch
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000877427 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Cucumber Mine, Cucumber
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $38,700.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069558160 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Mine No.1, Jolo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $12,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069579708 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Mine No. 11, Jolo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $12,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069580251 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Mine No. 5, Elbert
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069593050 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Jump Branch Mine No. 1, Welch
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $125,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069995787 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Totten Ridge Surface Mine No. 1, Welch
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $125,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069996835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Fci Mcdowell, Welch
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. 1,331 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2480WFCMCD11FED (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Jenkinjones Preparation Plant, Jenkinjones
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010863958 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Road Fork No. 8 Deep Mine, Jenkinjones
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069578932 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
No. 4 Deep Mine, Gary
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069595851 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Eckman Surface Mine No. 1, Eckman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069595860 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Murphy Branch Mine No. 1, 2, 3 - Tipple Mine No. 1, Elbert
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069605644 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Gray Hawk Surface Mine, Elkhorn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069996135 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Harmon East Haulroad, Eckman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $77,753.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069997520 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Elizabeth Drewry Apartments, Eckman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010809599 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Starland Heights, Kimball
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010875721 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
City Of Gary, Gary
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110016708026 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ashland Scenic Campground, Ashland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024816010 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
The Car Wash, Roderfield
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009117856 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Bull Creek Surface Mine No. 1, Mohawk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010856788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Deep Mine No 58, Beaver
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010856840 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Bluestone Coal Corporation, Kimball
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010856877 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Caretta Mining Incorporated, Caretta
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010864270 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Litwar Preparation Plant & Litwar Refuse Dump, Iaeger
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010864706 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Federal Bureau Of Prisons, Mcdowell Institution, Welch
EPA FRS registry ID
110038045647
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
Federal Correctional Institution - Mcdowell, Welch
EPA FRS registry ID
110043673263
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report
Stevens Correctional Center, Welch
EPA FRS registry ID
110070642640
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
Federal Correctional Institution - Mcdowell, Welch
EPA FRS registry ID
110070646053
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for McDowell 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 McDowell 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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