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Mercer County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Mercer County is 176.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Bladder deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 324 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (143), Rail grade crossing (75), Brownfield property (32). 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: 37.4163, -81.0769.

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 Mercer County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
BladderDeaths6.84.11.66xSignificant4.7 to 9.82020-2024
Lung & bronchusDeaths4430.21.46xSignificant38.1 to 50.82020-2024
LeukemiaDeaths7.85.71.37x5.5 to 112020-2024
EsophagusDeaths53.71.35x3.1 to 7.92020-2024
StomachNew cases8.66.61.3x5.8 to 12.42019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases2317.91.28xSignificant18.2 to 28.92019-2023
Lung & bronchusNew cases66.251.81.28xSignificant58.9 to 74.22019-2023
All cancerDeaths176.3143.21.23xSignificant163.9 to 189.42020-2024
BladderNew cases22.518.71.2x18.1 to 27.72019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths5.64.81.17x3.6 to 8.52020-2024
EsophagusNew cases54.61.09x3.2 to 7.72019-2023
ThyroidNew cases13.7131.05x9.8 to 18.62019-2023
Brain & nervous systemNew cases6.56.21.05x4 to 9.92019-2023
All cancerNew cases469.4453.41.04x448 to 491.62019-2023
Melanoma of the skinNew cases23.223.80.97x18.3 to 292019-2023
Liver & bile ductDeaths6.26.60.94x4.2 to 9.22020-2024
Brain & nervous systemDeaths4.14.40.93x2.5 to 6.72020-2024
LeukemiaNew cases13.214.50.91x10 to 17.42019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases15.718.50.85x12.1 to 20.22019-2023
PancreasNew cases11.513.90.83x8.6 to 15.22019-2023
Liver & bile ductNew cases6.88.70.78x4.5 to 10.12019-2023
PancreasDeaths811.30.71x5.6 to 11.12020-2024

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 Mercer County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death18,111.99,842.6+84%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy68.775.3-9%years
Child mortality82.859.8+38%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality8.86.2+42%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths175.996.9+81%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths118.128.6+313%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.

  • Formaldehyde14.82 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.76 per million
  • Acetaldehyde1.4 per million
  • Benzene0.79 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit143
  • Rail grade crossing75
  • Brownfield property32
  • Gas station (mapped facility)22
  • Air permit holder (minor source)17
  • Small hazardous waste generator11
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)8
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
  • Wastewater plant (mapped facility)4
  • Heliport3
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter2
  • Commercial airport1
  • TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

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

  1. Acme Wood Preserving, Inc., Princeton, Princeton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000344137 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.6

  2. Minova Usa Inc, Bluefield

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Benzoyl peroxide. Reports carcinogens. 4,900 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 24701FSRCNRTE29 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.3

  3. Acme Wood Preserving Inc, Princeton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Creosote, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Copper compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,765 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 24740CMWDPROGER (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.2

  4. Industrial Plating & Machine Inc., Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $168,354.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010875106 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  5. Central Supply Co Of Wv - Princeton Plant, Princeton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 9 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 2474WCNTRL11WES (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.3

  6. Green Valley - Glenwood Psd, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002083502 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.3

  7. Princeton Wastewater Treatment Plant, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002055150 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5

  8. Town Of Athens, Athens

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010866955 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  9. Green Acres Subdivision, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010878087 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  10. Adams Rentals, Llc, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010881073 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  11. Orbit Acres, Athens

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010881368 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  12. Rt. 20 Grade Work, Montcalm

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110063015696 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  13. Conn-Weld Industries Llc, Princeton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Lead, Chromium. Reports carcinogens.

    TRI facility ID 24740CNNWLUSROU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 4.5

  14. Pepsi Beverage Company-Mercer Co., Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000344146 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  15. Kings Tire Service, Brushfork

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010851596 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  16. Bramwell Psd, Bramwell

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010864993 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  17. Kings Tire Service, Inc., Bluewell

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010872644 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  18. Shawnee Mobile Home Park, Rock

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010881108 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  19. Johnston Chapel Baptist Church, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010882919 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  20. Lusk Disposal Service Inc, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110032938953 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  21. Roadfork Loadout, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110069995235 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  22. Brushcreek Falls Rv Resort Llc, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110070030789 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  23. Ingleside Quarry, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110070562855 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  24. Recycle Wv Corp, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110070643777 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  25. Ada Wwtp, Bluefield

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010851783 (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 Mercer 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 Mercer 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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