Durham, NC

Moderate Risk (46/100)

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.

Environmental data for Durham in North Carolina · Population: 329,405

TRI sites such as Brenntag Mid-South; Wolfspeed Inc.; Scm Metal Products Inc; SDWIS systems such as DURHAM, CITY OF; ROCKBRIDGE S/D; OAK HILLS MOBILE HOME PARK anchor Durham, NC's EPA extract. Derived burden score 46/100 (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 Durham include ROCKBRIDGE S/D; OAK HILLS MOBILE HOME PARK; SOUTHERN TRACE S/D, while Brenntag Mid-South leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 51 / peak 97 in 2024.

Burden score 46/100 (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 Durham -- 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 Durham, NC: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

+878.9%

12 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

+878.9%

74.8 thousand lb → 732.0 thousand lb, every facility that filed

  • Durham, NC's total reported releases rose from 74.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 732.0 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Durham, NC's off-site transfers rose from 30.7 thousand lb in 2022 to 687.2 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Durham, NC's water releases rose from 64 lb in 2022 to 252 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Durham, NC's chemicals reported rose from 31 in 2022 to 33 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
329,405
TRI Facilities
13
Water Systems
44
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
1.0M lbs

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 170 (46%) 196 0 97
2023 163 (45%) 196 4 181
2022 210 (58%) 155 0 96
2021 160 (44%) 204 0 175
2020 203 (55%) 163 0 97
2024 Good Air Quality: 46% of days
Median AQI: 51

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 (44)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
DURHAM, CITY OF 333,490 0
ROCKBRIDGE S/D 1,042 15
OAK HILLS MOBILE HOME PARK 505 16
SOUTHERN TRACE S/D 485 21
LAKESIDE MHC 465 0
CROWN MHP 353 1
SUBURBAN ACRES MHP 333 0
SANDY HILL ESTATES 325 3
WHISPERING PINES MHP 305 3
BAY COUNTRY MOBILE HOME PARK 300 0
MANTUA MOBILE HOME PARK 250 0
PLEASANT ACRES MHP 217 0
FOREST BROOK MHP 200 0
JONES ESTATES LYNCHBURG VA LLC 200 0
WINSTEAD MOBILE TERRACE 189 7
ROLLING VALLEY ESTATES 180 0
GREENTREE MOBILE HOME PARK 170 0
BERNIES MOBILE HOME PARK 170 0
BUFFALOE ROAD MHP 162 3
MILL ROAD ESTATES 150 0
CEDAR CREEK MOBILE HOME PARK 150 0
KNOB VUE ESTATES 150 1
CARVEL MANOR MHP 148 1
OAK RIDGE PARK MHP 108 0
DOVER BRIDGE PARK 100 2
STANTON HILLS COMMUNITY 100 0
ARBOR HILL MHP 96 0
EUGLENA JUNCTION 96 0
STONEGATE MHP S/D 96 0
GLEN LAKE ESTATES 94 0
PINE VALLEY ESTATES 93 0
HARSHBARGER MHP 90 13
PINEHURST MANOR MHP 86 0
DURHAM COUNTY ROUGEMONT WATER SYSTEM 84 0
VALLEY VIEW ESTATES 80 3
FRANKLIN MOBILE HOME VILLAGE 80 8
LAKESHORE COURT MOBILE HOME 65 0
PLEASANT HILL MOBILE ESTATES 62 3
HY VUE ACRES MHP 62 0
RIVERBEND ESTATES 50 6
ROBERTS TRAILER PARK 50 0
COLONIAL GLENN ESTATES 50 3
SKY VIEW TERRACE 50 3
HOMESTEAD MHP 25 0

TRI Facilities (13)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Brenntag Mid-South 676.4K lbs
2 Wolfspeed Inc. 118.7K lbs
3 Scm Metal Products Inc 110.1K lbs
4 Ips Structural Adhesives Inc. 76.5K lbs
5 Wolfspeed Inc. (rtp) 18.2K lbs
6 Cormetech Inc 13.0K lbs
7 Biogen Rtp 1.1K lbs
8 Sunrock Industries LLC - Mdc 610 lbs
9 Aisin North Carolina Corp 602 lbs
10 General Electric Aerospace - Durham Engine Facility 250 lbs
11 Foundation Labs By Ply Gem LLC 15 lbs
12 Argos Ready Mix Hwy 55 Concrete Plant 5 lbs
13 Argos Ready Mix Plum St Concrete Plant 0 lbs

Cities in Durham (3)

Durham
10 facilities · 43 water
Research Triangle Park
2 facilities · 0 water
Rtp
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Durham, North Carolina?
Durham, NC has an environmental risk score of 46/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 13 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 44 water systems on record. 18 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Durham?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Durham, NC in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Durham?
Durham, NC has 13 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 1.0M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Durham?
In 2024, Durham, NC recorded a median AQI of 51 and a peak AQI of 97. 46% of monitored days had "Good" air quality (AQI 0–50). Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County.
Is the drinking water safe in Durham?
Durham, NC has 44 EPA-regulated water systems. 18 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Durham?
Environmental compliance in Durham, North Carolina is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the North Carolina state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

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.

Related

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro