The City of Cary is home to an estimated 165,904 residents, and it’s located in Wake County, NC.
This report will help you become better acquainted with Cary and the surrounding area by addressing the following questions:
Are there any hazardous sites in Wake County, NC?
How clean is the air in Wake County, NC?
What’s the average radon level for homes in Wake County, NC?
Is the water in Wake County, NC safe to drink?
Hazardous Sites near Cary, NC
There are three Superfund sites in Wake County, NC. Superfund sites, like Ward Transformer in Raleigh, NC, are areas that have been contaminated with hazardous substances. If not for the cleanup efforts orchestrated by the EPA, these sites could endanger people living in nearby communities.
The EPA uses the Hazardous Ranking System (HRS) to quantify the risk a contaminated site poses to human health and the environment. Sites assigned HRS scores of 28.5 or greater qualify for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL), and are eligible to receive federal funding for cleanup efforts.
Before the EPA deletes a site from the NPL, it conducts reviews to ensure the cleanup was sufficient. As a result, some sites remain on the active site list long after cleanup activities are complete.
For more information about the Superfund sites located in the Cary, NC area, be sure to review the map and background information provided below:
Map Legend:
37183
A. Ward Transformer (HRS Score: 50)
The Ward Transformer site, where transformers, switchgear, and other electronic equipment were manufactured from 1964 to 2006, is located in Raleigh, NC.
Contaminants found at the Ward Transformer site include:
B. North Carolina State University (Lot 86, Farm Unit #1) (HRS Score: 48)
The North Carolina State University (Lot 86, Farm Unit #1) site, where North Carolina State University disposed of wastes from science laboratories and agricultural research facilities from 1969 to 1980, is located in Raleigh, NC.
Contaminants found at the North Carolina State University (Lot 86, Farm Unit #1) site include:
Arsenic
Barium
Benzene
Chloroform
Chromium
37183
C. Koppers Co., Inc. (Morrisville Plant) (HRS Score: 42)
The Koppers Co., Inc. (Morrisville Plant) site, where a wood treating facility operated from 1968 until 1975, is located in Morrisville, NC.
Contaminants found at the Koppers Co., Inc. (Morrisville Plant) site include:
2,4-Dichlorophenol
Phenol
Pentachlorophenol
Dioxins And Dibenzofurans
Air Quality in the Cary, NC Area
The two most widespread forms of air pollution are ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot). Exposure to these harmful pollutants, for even just a short period, can have adverse effects on your health.
Thanks to data collected by air monitoring equipment located across the country, the American Lung Association (ALA) is able to assess and track our air quality using three metrics:
Ozone
Short-term Particle Pollution
Year-round Particle Pollution
In their 2019 annual report, the ALA rated the air quality in Wake County, NC as follows:
Ground-LevelOzone Pollution
Grading Scale: A-F
Short-TermParticle Pollution
Grading Scale: A-F
Year-RoundParticle Pollution
Grading Scale: Pass/Fail
Radon Levels in Cary, NC Area
Air quality inside your home can be impacted by a number of factors, including the presence of hazardous substances in building materials (asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, etc.) and local radon levels.
Radon is a naturally occurring gas you cannot see or smell. It can build up inside your home and negatively impact your indoor air quality as well as your health.
To provide a guideline, the EPA assigned one of three zones to each U.S. county and county equivalent:
Zone 1 (higher radon levels)
Zone 2 (moderate levels)
Zone 3 (lower levels)
Indoor radon readings in Wake County, NC are expected to average from 2 to 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), so the county has been assigned EPA Radon Zone 2.
EPA Radon Zone
According to the EPA, you should consider acting to reduce your home's radon level if it measures between 2 and 4 pCi/L, so if you're contemplating buying a home in Cary, NC, you should have a radon test performed.
Water Quality in Cary, NC Area
In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA sets regulatory limits for drinking water contaminants known to cause adverse health effects.
The following Wake County, NC water provider(s) violated the maximum allowable level for one or more regulated contaminants:
Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome.
37183
Kenwood Meadows S/D
Ethylene Dibromide
Problems with liver, stomach, reproductive system, or kidneys; increased risk of cancer
Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome.
37183
Shady Acres MH Village
Ethylene Dibromide
Problems with liver, stomach, reproductive system, or kidneys; increased risk of cancer
In addition to setting enforceable standards for harmful contaminants, the EPA also established guidelines to assist public water providers in managing the taste, odor and color of their drinking water.
To find out more about what’s in your drinking water, contact your utility company and request a copy of the latest Consumer Confidence Report.
Sources and Methods
Hazardous Sites: Identified using a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous sites detailed on trendingtowns.com represent sites contained on the National Priorities List (NPL) as of November 25, 2019. The NPL is the list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories. All site-related data was sourced from the EPA.
Air Quality: Grades for ozone, short-term particle pollution, and year-round particle pollution were obtained from State of the Air 2019, a report compiled by the American Lung Association.
Radon Zones: Radon zone designations were obtained using a public use dataset provided by the EPA (September 11, 2019).
Water Quality: Drinking water violation data was sourced from the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), a public use database provided by the EPA. The dataset included violations submitted to the database as of the third quarter of 2019.
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