County · TRI 2024
Jefferson County, Pennsylvania Pollution
10 top TRI facilities tracked here. Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold)) held roughly steady year over year (—). Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold)) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
FIPS 42065 · population 44,326
Multi-year history not yet ingested.
Top facilities mapped
Where Chemicals Are Released In Jefferson County
Each red dot is one of the top TRI facilities. Size reflects 2024 total releases. County boundary outlined in blue.
Pollutant pathways
Jefferson County 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.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 2010.
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.
TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
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.
TRI land + off-site releases concentrations are up 14% since 2010.
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 are roughly unchanged from 2010.
Top facilities · 2024
Where The Chemical Releases Are Concentrated
| Facility | City | Top chemical | Total releases | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punxsutawney Finishing WorksBfg Manufacturing Services | Punxsutawney | Zinc compoundsHealth riskGenerally low acute toxicity. Chronic high-dose exposure disrupts copper absorption and immune function. (ATSDR) | 70k lb | -4% |
| Glen-Gery CorpBrickworks Building Products North America | Summerville | Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size)Health riskAcid mists are an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation (laryngeal cancer) and corrosive on contact. (IARC) | 18k lb | +27% |
| Owens-Brockway Glass Container INC Plant 18O-I Glass INC | Brockway | Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region)Health riskHexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation, causing lung cancer; trivalent chromium is far less toxic. (IARC, EPA) | 694 lb | +2% |
| Mersen USA Gs - Nac Corp.Mersen USA Holding CORP | Punxsutawney | Polycyclic aromatic compoundsHealth riskPAH class includes IARC Group 1 carcinogens (e.g., benzo[a]pyrene); long-term exposure raises cancer risk. (IARC, EPA) | 480 lb | +11% |
| Owens-Brockway Glass Container INC Plant 19O-I Glass INC | Brockport | Lead And Lead CompoundsHealth riskNeurotoxin. Even low childhood exposure impairs cognitive development; chronic adult exposure damages kidneys and the cardiovascular system. (EPA, ATSDR) | 352 lb | +1% |
| Star Iron Works INC. | Big Run | ManganeseHealth riskExcess inhalation can cause manganism, a Parkinson-like neurological disorder. (ATSDR) | 255 lb | 0% |
| Miller Welding & Machine COMiller Welding & Machine Co | Brookville | ManganeseHealth riskExcess inhalation can cause manganism, a Parkinson-like neurological disorder. (ATSDR) | 119 lb | +13% |
| Phoenix Sintered Metals INC.Brockway Sintered Technologies | Brockway | CopperHealth riskInhaled copper fumes cause metal-fume fever; chronic ingestion above EPA's 1.3 mg/L action level damages the liver. (EPA) | 24 lb | +20% |
| Niagara Cutter Pennsylvania INC | Reynoldsville | Cobalt | 5 lb | -55% |
| Beverage AirAli Group North America | Brookville | DiisocyanatesHealth riskLeading cause of occupational asthma; severe respiratory sensitizers. (OSHA) | 0 lb | 0% |
Superfund / NPL sites
Federal Cleanup Sites In Jefferson County
Sites on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List, plus deleted sites whose cleanup objectives EPA has finalized. Federal-facility sites (defense, DOE, etc.) are flagged separately. Each link routes to a per-site page.
| Site | City | Status | Federal facility | Primary contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Ceramix, Inc | Falls Creek | NPL FINAL | No | LeadHealth riskNeurotoxin. Even low childhood exposure impairs cognitive development; chronic adult exposure damages kidneys and the cardiovascular system. (EPA, ATSDR) |
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Jefferson County
All block groups in Jefferson County County, PA: 44,326 residents. County disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits well below the reference (24). Why we surface this →
14.1%
Low-income
3.7%
People of color
6.0%
Under age 5
21.3%
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.25below the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.39below 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.16below 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.15below 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.92in the highest 10% 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.14below 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.79above the national median
- 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.66above 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.28below 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.15below 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.57near the national median
- 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.60above 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.90in the highest 10% nationally
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 24 | well below the reference |
| Ozone | 46 | well below the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 16 | well below the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 16 | well below the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 34 | well below the reference |
| Traffic proximity | 14 | well below the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 68 | below the reference |
| Superfund site proximity | 14 | well below the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 5 | well below the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 10 | well below the reference |
| Underground storage tanks | 37 | well below the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 47 | well below the reference |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 32 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Browse
All 9 Jefferson County Cities With TRI Data
Pollution trends and TRI 2024 pages for every tracked city in this county. Alphabetical.
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
All sources are federal public-domain datasets under 17 USC §105. We aggregate but do not relabel; the underlying observations remain attributable to EPA.