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Pocahontas County, West Virginia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Pocahontas County is 180.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 107 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (58), Rail grade crossing (15), Gas station (mapped facility) (11). 2 correctional facilities operate in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. 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: 38.3878, -79.986.

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 Pocahontas County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	38.7	30.2	1.28x	24.6 to 59.7	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	23.9	18.7	1.28x	12.8 to 42.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	180.3	143.2	1.26xSignificant	149.3 to 217.4	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	27.5	23.8	1.16x	15.7 to 46.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	475.4	453.4	1.05x	419.9 to 537.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	51	51.8	0.98x	35.5 to 73	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 Pocahontas County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	15,349.2	9,842.6	+56%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.2	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	143.2	96.9	+48%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	67.1	28.6	+135%	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.

Formaldehyde12.04 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.72 per million
Acetaldehyde1.07 per million
Benzene0.59 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit58
Rail grade crossing15
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Air permit holder (minor source)6
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Brownfield property3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Public airport2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Heliport2

Highest-severity records

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

Town Of Marlinton, Marlinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $148,380.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010852121 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Ambassadors For Christ Retreat Ministries, Marlinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010849671 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Hillsboro Town Of-Treatment Plant, Hillsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010863725 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
The Hermitage Motel, Bartow
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010883320 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
X-Treme Clean, Llc, Marlinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110023142437 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Pocahontas High School, Marlinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054941140 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
National Radio Observatory, Green Bank
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010879068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Edray Hatchery, Marlinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063223239 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Boyer Motel And Restaurant, Arbovale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063714985 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Beckwith Lumber Company, Inc. - Slaty Fork, Slaty Fork
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070917729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Carter Roag Coal / Star Bridge Prep Plant, Mill Creek
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060279988 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Seneca State Forest, Dunmore
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010881313 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Denmar State Correctional Center & Jail, Hillsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011793229 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Watoga State Park 001-1, Marlinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012292580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Green Bank Sub-Station, Green Bank
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046131743 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, Cass
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010853004 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Burns Service Center, Hillsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070941062 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Peacock Building, Marlinton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973596 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Howes Tannery, Frank
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071978124 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
East Fork Industrial Park, Frank
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071986207 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Mill Point Quarry, Hillsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070259804 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
East Fork Industrial Pk, Bartow
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010851211 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Snowshoe Mountain, Snowshoe
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010879512 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Denmar Correctional Ctr, Hillsboro
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010883464 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Denmar State Correctional Center & Jail, Hillsboro
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110011793229 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 2.7

Correctional facilities

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

Denmar State Correctional Center & Jail, Hillsboro
EPA FRS registry ID
110011793229
Water system
WV3303804
Health-based violations
2 all time, 1 in 5 years
All violations
10
Contaminants cited
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Wastewater permit
Yes, 7 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report
Denmar Correctional Ctr, Hillsboro
EPA FRS registry ID
110010883464
Wastewater permit
Yes, 6 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas 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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