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Clarke County, Alabama: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Clarke County is 195 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 360 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (163), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (92), Rail grade crossing (42). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 30 in a million, driven mainly by formaldehyde.

Rates are age-adjusted per 100,000 people. A cancer signal is marked significant when the lower bound of its 95 percent confidence interval is above the U.S. rate. Facility counts use active federal records located inside the county boundary. Approximate county center: 31.5888, -87.8145.

How this county ranks in Alabama

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Cancer deaths and new cases versus the United States

Source: NCI and CDC State Cancer Profiles, both sexes, all ages. Sorted by the ratio of the county rate to the U.S. rate.

Cancer rates for Clarke County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	9.7	6.6	1.47x	5.5 to 16.3	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	195	143.2	1.36xSignificant	173.8 to 218.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	38.9	30.2	1.29x	30.2 to 49.6	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	17.8	13.9	1.28x	12.2 to 25.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	14.1	11.3	1.25x	9.2 to 21.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	62.3	51.8	1.2x	50.8 to 76	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	500	453.4	1.1xSignificant	464.3 to 538	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.2	17.9	1.02x	12 to 26.8	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	15.3	18.7	0.82x	10 to 23	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	17.5	23.8	0.74x	11.6 to 25.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	11.9	18.5	0.64x	7.1 to 19	2019-2023

Mortality measures versus the U.S. county median

Source: County Health Rankings, built from CDC National Vital Statistics System death records. The comparison value is the median of all U.S. counties.

Mortality measures for Clarke County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	16,382	9,842.6	+66%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	69.9	75.3	-7%	years
Child mortality	119.1	59.8	+99%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	102.5	96.9	+6%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	14.6	28.6	-49%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 30 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde23.72 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.39 per million
Pahpom0.68 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

360 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Industrial wastewater discharge163
NPDES wastewater discharge permit92
Rail grade crossing42
Gas station (mapped facility)23
Air permit holder (minor source)9
Major air pollution source7
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
TRI reporting facility5
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Public airport1
Brownfield property1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Boise White Paper Llc, Jackson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 4,409,323 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36545BSCSC307WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.6
Louisiana-Pacific Corp. Clarke County Osb, Thomasville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 307,784 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3678WLSNPC15NCL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Scotch Gulf Lumber Llc, Fulton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070828256 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Canfor Southern Pine - Fulton Al, Fulton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 154,833 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3644WCNFRS215NE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Scotch Plywood Co Inc., Fulton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Lead, Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. Reports carcinogens. 37,191 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36446SCTCH101MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Westervelt Lumber Thomasville Llc, Thomasville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 122,631 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3678WWSTRV7NCLA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Packaging Corporation Of America, Jackson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000369280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Louisiana-Pacific Corp Clarke County Osb, Thomasville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060259072 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Westervelt Lumber Thomasville, Thomasville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071283944 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Scotch Plywood Co Inc, Fulton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012268517 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Scotch Gulf Lumber Llc, Fulton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070828256 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Scotch Gulf Lumber, Jackson
Major air pollution source. Penalties $100,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057226684 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Scotch Gulf Lumber Llc, Fulton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070828256 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Thomasville City Of Ww And Sb, Thomasville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010072928 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Scotch Gulf Lumber, Jackson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $100,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057226684 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Bayou Concrete Llc - Jackson Plant, Jackson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 3654WBYCNC539IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Bumpers Oil Co Llc, Jackson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006788100 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Cmbiomass, Jackson
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071298339 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Westervelt Lumber Thomasville, Thomasville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070826643 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, Thomasville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064194045 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Cmbiomass, Jackson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071298339 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Packaging Corporation Of America, Jackson
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000369280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Scotch Plywood Co Inc, Fulton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012268517 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Westervelt Lumber Thomasville, Thomasville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070826643 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, Thomasville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064194045 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Clarke County

Alabama state cancer registry
Cancer incidence counts by census tract or ZIP code, by cancer type and year (de-identified). Any cancer cluster inquiries or investigations in Clarke County, and their findings.
Alabama vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Alabama health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Alabama environmental agency and the U.S. EPA regional office
Compliance history, inspection reports, notices of violation, penalties and enforcement actions for each facility above, cited by EPA FRS registry ID.
Alabama drinking water program
Violation notices, sampling results and sanitary surveys for the public water systems serving the county, including any system serving a correctional facility.
Department of corrections or county sheriff
Water testing, grievances and environmental health inspections for the correctional facilities listed above.

Each Envyrofax address report includes a printable records request worksheet with the custodian and the exact request wording per finding.

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