County · TRI 2024

Botetourt County, Virginia Pollution

9 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 51023 · population 33,734

LIFETIME CANCER RISK ALL POLLUTANTS (100 IN A MILLION (EPA ELEVATED THRESHOLD)) · 20202020
Multi-year history not yet ingested.
Anomaly engine

Notable Signals

LONG-ARC REGRESSION · LONG-ARC SHIFT

Total TRI releases

Total TRI releases at Botetourt County have more than doubled since 2010 (through 2024).

Top facilities mapped

Where Chemicals Are Released In Botetourt County

Each red dot is one of the top TRI facilities. Size reflects 2024 total releases. County boundary outlined in blue.

STYLE9 TRI facilities · Botetourt County
Pollutant pathways

Botetourt County Pollutant Multi-Year Trends

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

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.

27.2 per million · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

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.

1.39 µg/m³ · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

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.

0.12 µg/m³ · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

TRI AIRSINCE 2010

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.

205k lb · +123% YoY · +87% since 2010

TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations are up 87% since 2010.

TRI WATERSINCE 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.

30 lb · +21% YoY · since 2010

TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.

TRI LANDSINCE 2015

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.

88k lb · +219% YoY · +858% since 2015

TRI land + off-site releases concentrations have more than doubled since 2015.

GHGSINCE 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.

0.8M metric tons CO₂e · -5% YoY · +43% since 2010

Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations are up 43% since 2010.

Top facilities · 2024

Where The Chemical Releases Are Concentrated

FacilityCityTop chemicalTotal releasesYoY
Roanoke Cement CO LLCTitan America LLCTroutvilleHydrogen cyanideHealth riskAcutely lethal at high doses by blocking cellular respiration; chronic low-dose exposure damages the thyroid and nervous system. (EPA, ATSDR)159k lb+237%
Dynax America CorpRoanokeHydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size)Health riskAerosolized HCl is a corrosive respiratory irritant; chronic exposure damages teeth and respiratory tissue. (NIOSH)129k lb+191%
Metalsa Roanoke INC.Metalsa Structural Products INCRoanokeManganeseHealth riskExcess inhalation can cause manganism, a Parkinson-like neurological disorder. (ATSDR)3k lb-87%
General Shale Brick INC Plant 35 & 36General Shale Brick INCRoanokeHydrogen fluoride812 lb+25%
Tread CorpRoanokeChromiumHealth riskHexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation, causing lung cancer; trivalent chromium is far less toxic. (IARC, EPA)450 lb-70%
Maag Gala INC.Dover CORPEagle RockNickelHealth riskNickel compounds are IARC Group 1 carcinogens; inhalation exposure raises lung and nasal cancer risk. (IARC)428 lb-63%
Canatal Steel USARoanokeManganeseHealth riskExcess inhalation can cause manganism, a Parkinson-like neurological disorder. (ATSDR)13 lb+18%
Munters Corp - DalevilleMunters CORPDalevilleZinc compoundsHealth riskGenerally low acute toxicity. Chronic high-dose exposure disrupts copper absorption and immune function. (ATSDR)12 lb-33%
Altec Industries INC.Altec Industries INCDalevilleManganeseHealth riskExcess inhalation can cause manganism, a Parkinson-like neurological disorder. (ATSDR)2 lb-33%
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity

Who Lives In Botetourt County

All block groups in Botetourt County County, VA: 33,734 residents. County disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits well below the reference (8). Why we surface this →

POPULATION SHARE
7.2%

Low-income

POPULATION SHARE
8.5%

People of color

POPULATION SHARE
5.0%

Under age 5

POPULATION SHARE
23.2%

Over age 64

NATIONAL PERCENTILE · vs all US block groups (population-weighted; ranked against the national EJScreen indicator distribution)

  • 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.13below the national median
  • OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.5below 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.33below 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.24below the national median
  • 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.21below 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.55near 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.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.33below 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.42near 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.45near 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.40below 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
EJ disparity scores · population-weighted across county block groups (100 = national reference; higher = greater disparate burden)
IndicatorDisparity scoreReading
PM2.5 (fine particulate)8well below the reference
Ozone11well below the reference
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)9well below the reference
Diesel particulate18well below the reference
Toxic releases (RSEI)13well below the reference
Traffic proximity12well below the reference
Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)27well below the reference
Superfund site proximity3well below the reference
RMP-facility proximity12well below the reference
Hazardous-waste site proximity17well below the reference
Underground storage tanks22well below the reference
NPDES wastewater proximity17well below the reference
Drinking-water non-compliance2well below the reference

Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).

Health context

Co-Located Health Indicators

Modeled adult-prevalence estimates published by CDC PLACES, paired with this county's pollution and demographic context. Comparisons are ecological, not causal — pollution and disease prevalence covary at the area level, but the data does not attribute any individual's diagnosis to local exposure. How this section works →

Adult asthma (current)

BRFSS 2023
10.4%
+1% vs Virginia mean+6% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

COPD prevalence

BRFSS 2023
7.6%
+6% vs Virginia mean+6% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Coronary heart disease

BRFSS 2023
7.6%
-0% vs Virginia mean-2% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Diabetes (diagnosed)

BRFSS 2023
13.0%
-14% vs Virginia mean-9% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Frequent mental distress

BRFSS 2023
15.7%
+7% vs Virginia mean+7% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

PLACES uses BRFSS-modeled small-area estimates, not individual records. Crude prevalence shown above is the local rate as published; comparators are age-adjusted vs the Virginia mean and the US mean — both population-weighted across counties — so geographies with different age structures stay apples-to-apples. Sources: CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023.

Sources.

All sources are federal public-domain datasets under 17 USC §105. We aggregate but do not relabel; the underlying observations remain attributable to EPA.