Catawba, NC
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.
Environmental data for Catawba in North Carolina · Population: 162,051
TRI sites such as Duke Energy Carolinas LLC - Marshall Steam Station; Shurtape Technologies LLC - Hickory Tape Plant; Prysmian Cables & Systems USA LLC; SDWIS systems such as NEWTON, CITY OF; CONOVER, CITY OF; MAIDEN, TOWN OF anchor Catawba, NC's EPA extract. Derived burden score 53/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Catawba include COUNTRY VALLEY II MHP; SHAMROCK PARK S/D; DEAL APARTMENTS, while Duke Energy Carolinas LLC - Marshall Steam Station leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 42 / peak 93 in 2024.
Burden score 53/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Catawba -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Catawba, NC: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
+20.1%
27 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
+20.1%
1.3 million lb → 1.6 million lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 1 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Catawba, NC's total reported releases rose from 1.3 million lb in 2022 to 1.6 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Catawba, NC's land releases rose from 545.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 937.2 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Catawba, NC's water releases rose from 2.0 thousand lb in 2022 to 2.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Catawba, NC's air releases fell from 732.6 thousand lb in 2022 to 606.9 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Air Quality History (2020–2024)
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy (SG) | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 232 (66%) | 118 | 0 | 93 |
| 2023 | 212 (61%) | 132 | 3 | 115 |
| 2022 | 234 (66%) | 121 | 0 | 81 |
| 2021 | 197 (57%) | 147 | 0 | 94 |
| 2020 | 247 (69%) | 110 | 0 | 95 |
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)
For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in North Carolina, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (11)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| NEWTON, CITY OF | 18,407 | 0 |
| CONOVER, CITY OF | 15,347 | 0 |
| MAIDEN, TOWN OF | 5,563 | 0 |
| LONGVIEW, TOWN OF | 5,244 | 0 |
| CLAREMONT, CITY OF | 2,645 | 0 |
| COUNTRY VALLEY II MHP | 318 | 1 |
| SHAMROCK PARK S/D | 200 | 3 |
| KOOL PARK MHP | 70 | 0 |
| DEAL APARTMENTS | 58 | 1 |
| SUNNY ACRES I | 50 | 0 |
| HEAVENLY MTN RESORT-VILLAGE | 25 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (33)
Cities in Catawba (9)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Catawba, North Carolina? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Catawba? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Catawba? ▼
What is the air quality in Catawba? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Catawba? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Catawba? ▼
What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.