Haywood, 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 Haywood in North Carolina · Population: 62,432
TRI sites such as Blue Ridge Paper Products LLC; Blue Ridge Paper Products - Waynesville; Consolidated Metco Inc; SDWIS systems such as WAYNESVILLE, TOWN OF; MAGGIE VALLEY SANITARY DIST; CANTON, TOWN OF; NPL sites such as Barber Orchard; Benfield Industries, Inc. anchor Haywood, NC's EPA extract. Derived burden score 52/100 (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 Haywood include WAYNESVILLE, TOWN OF; MAGGIE VALLEY SANITARY DIST; JUNALUSKA SANITARY DISTRICT, while Blue Ridge Paper Products LLC leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 44 / peak 101 in 2024.
Burden score 52/100 (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 Haywood -- 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 Haywood, NC: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
-62.3%
3 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
-62.2%
2.4 million lb → 891.0 thousand lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 2 facilities filed for the first time and 0 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Haywood, NC's total reported releases fell from 2.4 million lb in 2022 to 887.6 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Haywood, NC's land releases fell from 229.2 thousand lb in 2022 to 77.5 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Haywood, NC's air releases fell from 2.0 million lb in 2022 to 748.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Haywood, NC's water releases fell from 102.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 62.1 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 | 238 (79%) | 64 | 1 | 101 |
| 2023 | 204 (73%) | 69 | 5 | 112 |
| 2022 | 234 (84%) | 45 | 1 | 108 |
| 2021 | 229 (81%) | 54 | 0 | 93 |
| 2020 | 244 (90%) | 28 | 0 | 93 |
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 (9)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| WAYNESVILLE, TOWN OF | 19,758 | 4 |
| MAGGIE VALLEY SANITARY DIST | 9,629 | 2 |
| CANTON, TOWN OF | 7,850 | 0 |
| JUNALUSKA SANITARY DISTRICT | 5,138 | 2 |
| CLYDE, TOWN OF | 3,228 | 1 |
| LAKE JUNALUSKA ASSEMBLY | 2,273 | 2 |
| SMOKY MTN RETREAT-EAGLE`S NEST | 422 | 2 |
| GREEN VALLEY MHP | 110 | 0 |
| COVE MOUNTAIN MOBILE HOME PARK | 91 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (6)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Ridge Paper Products LLC | 10.7M lbs |
| 2 | Blue Ridge Paper Products - Waynesville | 66.9K lbs |
| 3 | Consolidated Metco Inc | 4.4K lbs |
| 4 | Southern Concrete Materials-Waynesville Plant | 6 lbs |
| 5 | Southern Concrete Materials-West Waynesville Plant | 2 lbs |
| 6 | Applachian Sitework | 0 lbs |
Superfund Sites (2)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Barber Orchard | NPL Site | 70.71 |
| Benfield Industries, Inc. | NPL Site | 31.67 |
Cities in Haywood (5)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Haywood, North Carolina? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Haywood? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Haywood? ▼
What is the air quality in Haywood? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Haywood? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Haywood? ▼
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.