Johnston, NC

Moderate Risk (43/100)

A PlainEnviro-computed score from reported facility/violation counts, not an official EPA rating, health forecast, or population-adjusted rate. See methodology.

Environmental data for Johnston in North Carolina · Population: 226,623

Johnston, NC is tracked across three EPA datasets covering 14 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facilities, 15 Safe Drinking Water Act systems, and 0 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Together these generate an environmental burden score of 43/100 (Moderate Risk), calibrated against national distributions for facility density, chemical release volume, Superfund concentration, and water-system health violations.

Industrial disclosures inside the county total 386.6K lbs of reported toxic releases under EPCRA Section 313, while 10 water systems carry an active health-based violation in the SDWIS record. EPA Air Quality System monitors logged a median AQI of 43 and a peak AQI of 84 in 2024, with 72% of observed days rated "Good" (0–50).

All figures below draw directly from federal EPA records, TRI self-reported emissions, SDWIS compliance history, NPL Hazard Ranking System scores, and AQS daily AQI summaries, and are not adjusted, weighted, or forecast. A past violation or elevated score does not itself indicate current unsafe conditions; it documents the regulatory and disclosure history publicly filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the most recent reporting cycle.

Population
226,623
TRI Facilities
14
Water Systems
15
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
386.6K 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 261 (72%) 104 0 84
2023 240 (66%) 124 1 115
2022 271 (74%) 93 1 140
2021 240 (66%) 125 0 97
2020 266 (78%) 73 0 75
2024 Good Air Quality: 72% of days
Median AQI: 43

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County 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 (15)

System Population Violations
JOHNSTON CO-WEST 92,365 0
JOHNSTON CO-EAST 22,967 0
SMITHFIELD, TOWN OF 12,900 1
SELMA, TOWN OF 6,190 1
BENSON, TOWN OF 4,293 0
FOUR OAKS, TOWN OF 2,854 24
PINE LEVEL, TOWN OF 2,413 1
KENLY, TOWN OF 2,301 20
PRINCETON, TOWN OF 1,326 7
SMITHFIELD SOUTH WATER DIST 803 4
SELMA, TOWN OF (COUNTY LINE) 642 5
MICRO, TOWN OF 470 0
PINE LEVEL, TOWN OF (FIRETOWER) 238 10
MICRO, TOWN OF (COUNTY LINE) 107 26
COUNTRY SQUIRE MOBILE ESTATES 85 0

TRI Facilities (14)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Novo Nordisk Dapi-Us 193.3K lbs
2 Zehrco-Giancola Composites Inc. 52.7K lbs
3 Conestoga Kenly Plant & Sprayroom 52.4K lbs
4 Maycraft Boats LLC 45.6K lbs
5 Grifols Therapeutics LLC 30.7K lbs
6 Blanchard Terminal Co - Selma Buffalo Nc Terminal 6.2K lbs
7 Natvar 4.8K lbs
8 Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Industries ,lp 502 lbs
9 Lampe & Malphrus Lumber Co 365 lbs
10 Caterpillar Inc Clayton Nc 65 lbs
11 LFC2 5 lbs
12 Argos Ready Mix Smithfield Concrete Plant 1 lbs
13 Concrete Supply Co LLC - Selma 0 lbs
14 Opw Fueling Containment Systems 0 lbs

Cities in Johnston (5)

Clayton
Pop: -
5 facilities · 3 water
Four Oaks
Pop: -
1 facilities · 1 water
Kenly
Pop: -
1 facilities · 1 water
Smithfield
Pop: -
4 facilities · 4 water
Selma
Pop: -
3 facilities · 2 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Johnston, North Carolina?
Johnston, NC has an environmental risk score of 43/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 14 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 15 water systems on record. 10 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Johnston?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Johnston, NC in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Johnston?
Johnston, NC has 14 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 386.6K lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Johnston?
In 2024, Johnston, NC recorded a median AQI of 43 and a peak AQI of 84. 72% 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 Johnston?
Johnston, NC has 15 EPA-regulated water systems. 10 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 Johnston?
Environmental compliance in Johnston, 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 Editorial