Contaminant 4020
Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2024 (contaminant 4020).
City · TRI 2024
Bedford, Pennsylvania Pollution
0 TRI facilities inside the city limits and 6 public water systems serving residents.
FIPS 4204944 · population 2,855 · Bedford County
Anomaly engine
Notable Signals
Contaminant 4030
Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2024 (contaminant 4030).
Contaminant 2063
Unresolved Nitrate/Nitrite violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 2063).
Chlorine
Unresolved Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts (Stage 2) violation cited in 2025 (chlorine).
Showing the 4 most editorially weighted signals out of 10. Lower-severity signals fold into the chemical breakdown and history charts below.
Pollutant pathways
Bedford Pollutant Multi-Year Trends
Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold))Health riskEPA-modeled added cancer cases per million residents from a lifetime of breathing local air toxics. EPA flags 100-in-a-million as elevated.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Formaldehyde ambient mean (0.077 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic emitted by refineries, wood products, and combustion. EPA classifies it as a known human carcinogen — long-term inhalation raises cancer risk.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Benzene ambient mean (0.13 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic from gasoline, refineries, and tobacco smoke. A known human carcinogen — chronic exposure is linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as released into the air — fugitive leaks plus smokestack emissions. Higher pounds means more inhaled exposure for nearby residents.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
TRI water releases (5.3)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as discharged to surface waters (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Affects fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
TRI land + off-site releasesHealth riskToxic chemicals released to land on-site or transferred off-site for disposal — landfills, deep-well injection, and similar. Risks groundwater contamination over time.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023)Health riskGreenhouse gases reported by large industrial emitters under EPA's GHGRP, in metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Drives climate warming and the heat-related health effects that follow.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations have fallen 28% since 2010.
Drinking water · SDWIS
Water Systems Serving Bedford
144 unresolved violations on the SDWIS record across utilities serving this city.
6
Utilities serving
7,219
Population served
96
Health-based · 5yr
144
Unresolved
| Water system | PWSID | Population served | Health-based · 5yr | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centerville Muni Water Auth Municipal | PA4050027 | 75 | 88 | UNRESOLVED |
| Rainsburg Borough Water Municipal | PA4050032 | 200 | 3 | UNRESOLVED |
| Crestview Mhp Private | PA4050007 | 91 | 3 | UNRESOLVED |
| Evitts Creek Water Co Municipal | PA4050028 | 100 | 2 | UNRESOLVED |
| Mun Auth Of Boro Of Bedford Municipal | PA4050002 | 5,127 | 0 | UNRESOLVED |
| Bedford Twp Muni Auth Municipal | PA4050037 | 1,626 | 0 | UNRESOLVED |
A public water systemis the regulated entity, not the city. EPA's SDWIS definition covers anything serving 25+ people for 60+ days a year or with 15+ service connections — that includes municipal utilities (City of Stockton), water districts, mobile home parks operating their own wells, schools, and small private subdivisions. Each system is independently monitored. Some systems serve multiple cities; some cities are served by many systems.
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Bedford
Bedford, Pennsylvania (Census place block groups): 2,855 residents. City disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits well below the reference (13). Why we surface this →
9.4%
Low-income
5.7%
People of color
3.5%
Under age 5
26.4%
Over age 64
- PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.16below the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.20below the national median
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.26below the national median
- Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.49near the national median
- Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.97in the highest 5% nationally
- Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.16below the national median
- Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.89in the highest 20% nationally
- Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.56near the national median
- RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.35below the national median
- Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.34below the national median
- Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.91in the highest 10% nationally
- NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.18below the national median
- Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.76above the national median
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 13 | well below the reference |
| Ozone | 37 | well below the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 24 | well below the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 43 | well below the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 80 | below the reference |
| Traffic proximity | 16 | well below the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 70 | below the reference |
| Superfund site proximity | 0 | well below the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 29 | well below the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 29 | well below the reference |
| Underground storage tanks | 73 | below the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 14 | well below the reference |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 0 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System · retrieved 2026-05-07.