Darlington, SC
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 Darlington in South Carolina · Population: 62,754
TRI sites such as Nucor Steel-Darlington; Sonoco Products Co; Barrier Reef Pools; SDWIS systems such as DARLINGTON COUNTY W&SA (SC1620001); HARTSVILLE CITY OF (SC1610003); DARLINGTON CITY OF (SC1610001); NPL sites such as Galey and Lord Plant anchor Darlington, SC's EPA extract. Derived burden score 37/100 (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 Darlington include LAMAR TOWN OF (SC1610004), while Nucor Steel-Darlington leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 40 / peak 100 in 2024.
Burden score 37/100 (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 Darlington -- 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 Darlington, SC: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
-2.2%
8 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
-2.2%
769.0 thousand lb → 752.4 thousand lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 0 facilities filed for the first time and 1 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Darlington, SC's total reported releases fell from 769.0 thousand lb in 2022 to 752.4 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Darlington, SC's land releases fell from 5.9 thousand lb in 2022 to 921 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Darlington, SC's chemicals reported rose from 16 in 2022 to 18 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Darlington, SC's water releases fell from 6.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 5.9 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 | 224 (86%) | 37 | 0 | 100 |
| 2023 | 238 (88%) | 33 | 0 | 93 |
| 2022 | 249 (94%) | 16 | 0 | 84 |
| 2021 | 257 (93%) | 18 | 0 | 74 |
| 2020 | 253 (100%) | 0 | 0 | 49 |
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 South Carolina, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (4)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| DARLINGTON COUNTY W&SA (SC1620001) | 52,288 | 0 |
| HARTSVILLE CITY OF (SC1610003) | 8,711 | 0 |
| DARLINGTON CITY OF (SC1610001) | 7,142 | 0 |
| LAMAR TOWN OF (SC1610004) | 1,034 | 1 |
TRI Facilities (9)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nucor Steel-Darlington | 2.4M lbs |
| 2 | Sonoco Products Co | 1.4M lbs |
| 3 | Barrier Reef Pools | 759.1K lbs |
| 4 | Stingray Boats | 241.1K lbs |
| 5 | Frazier Industrial Co | 160.9K lbs |
| 6 | Canfor Southern Pine-Darlington Plant | 44.9K lbs |
| 7 | Fiber Industries LLC | 2.8K lbs |
| 8 | Polyquest Inc. | 764 lbs |
| 9 | Duke Energy Progress LLC - H B Robinson/darlington | 2 lbs |
Superfund Sites (1)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Galey and Lord Plant | NPL Site | 50.00 |
Cities in Darlington (4)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Darlington, South Carolina? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Darlington? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Darlington? ▼
What is the air quality in Darlington? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Darlington? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Darlington? ▼
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.