Mitchell, NC

Low Risk (17/100)

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 Mitchell in North Carolina · Population: 14,973

Mitchell, NC is tracked across three EPA datasets covering 1 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facility, 3 Safe Drinking Water Act systems, and 0 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Together these generate an environmental burden score of 17/100 (Low Risk), calibrated against national distributions for facility density, chemical release volume, Superfund concentration, and water-system health violations.

Industrial disclosures inside the county total 26.3K lbs of reported toxic releases under EPCRA Section 313, while 1 water system carries an active health-based violation in the SDWIS record. EPA Air Quality System monitors logged a median AQI of 31 and a peak AQI of 93 in 2024, with 84% 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
14,973
TRI Facilities
1
Water Systems
3
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
26.3K 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 288 (84%) 53 0 93
2023 281 (80%) 71 1 104
2022 298 (86%) 48 0 69
2021 296 (83%) 60 0 82
2020 328 (92%) 27 1 103
2024 Good Air Quality: 84% of days
Median AQI: 31

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 (3)

System Population Violations
SPRUCE PINE, TOWN OF 5,661 0
BAKERSVILLE, TOWN OF 725 1
HUMPBACK MOUNTAIN 25 0

TRI Facilities (1)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Brp US Inc 26.3K lbs

Cities in Mitchell (1)

Spruce Pine
Pop: -
1 facilities · 2 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Mitchell, North Carolina?
Mitchell, NC has an environmental risk score of 17/100 (Low Risk), based on 1 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 3 water systems on record. 1 water system have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Mitchell?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Mitchell, NC in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Mitchell?
Mitchell, NC has 1 TRI-reporting facility on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 26.3K lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Mitchell?
In 2024, Mitchell, NC recorded a median AQI of 31 and a peak AQI of 93. 84% 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 Mitchell?
Mitchell, NC has 3 EPA-regulated water systems. 1 system has 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 Mitchell?
Environmental compliance in Mitchell, 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