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Escambia County, Alabama: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Escambia County is 190 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 504 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (205), Rail grade crossing (98), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (97). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 31.1532, -87.1581.

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 Escambia County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	10.6	6.6	1.61xSignificant	6.9 to 15.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	48.1	30.2	1.59xSignificant	39.9 to 57.6	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	9.8	6.6	1.48x	6.1 to 15.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	69.6	51.8	1.34xSignificant	59.6 to 81.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	190	143.2	1.33xSignificant	173 to 208.3	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.2	6.2	1.32x	4.8 to 13.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	11.3	8.7	1.3x	7.6 to 16.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.1	5.7	1.25x	4.2 to 11.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.8	11.3	1.13x	8.8 to 18.1	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.3	17.9	1.02x	13.2 to 24.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.4	13.9	0.96x	9.2 to 19.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	409.2	453.4	0.9x	383.4 to 436.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.3	18.5	0.88x	11.3 to 22.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	9.8	14.5	0.68x	6.2 to 14.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	15	23.8	0.63x	10.3 to 21.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	9.6	18.7	0.51x	6.2 to 14.3	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 Escambia County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	15,044.6	9,842.6	+53%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	70.1	75.3	-7%	years
Child mortality	103	59.8	+72%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.8	6.2	+41%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	130	96.9	+34%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	49.2	28.6	+72%	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.

Formaldehyde23.56 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.36 per million
Benzene0.76 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge205
Rail grade crossing98
NPDES wastewater discharge permit97
Air permit holder (minor source)24
Brownfield property14
Gas station (mapped facility)14
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)12
TRI reporting facility10
Major air pollution source8
Small hazardous waste generator6
Public airport4
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Large hazardous waste generator2
EPA air quality monitor1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Heliport1
Biomass power plant1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)1

Highest-severity records

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

Georgia-Pacific Brewton Llc, Brewton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Hydrogen sulfide, Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 9,140,176 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36426CNTNRHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.8
T R Miller Mill Co Inc, Brewton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Lead And Lead Compounds, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Pentachlorophenol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 162,284 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36427TRMLLEASTE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Big Escambia Creek Gas Plant, Atmore
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $200,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000727697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.2
Georgia-Pacific Brewton Llc, Brewton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041128703 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.9
Grede Ii - Brewton, Brewton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium, Arsenic and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 23,059 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36427LBMDC123ST (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Grede Ii, Llc - Brewton, Brewton
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $210,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024422971 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Tr Miller Mill Company Inc, Brewton
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $9,760.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012508599 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
Frit Car Inc, Brewton
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $12,320.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006787655 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.4
Huxford Pole & Timber Co. Inc., Atmore
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $14,560.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000589676 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.4
Swift Lumber Inc., Atmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds, Copper compounds, Arsenic compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,645 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36504SWFTLSWIFT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Big Escambia Creek Gas Plant, Atmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide. 256,616 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3650WBGSCM3888S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Huxford Pole & Timber Co. Inc., Atmore
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $14,560.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000589676 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Huxford Pole & Timber Co. Inc., Atmore
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $14,560.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000589676 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Weyerhaeuser Nr Co, Castleberry
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Phenol. 4,387 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36432TRSJS162NJ (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Grede Ii, Llc - Brewton, Brewton
Major air pollution source. Penalties $210,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024422971 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Frit Car Inc., Brewton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene. 2,858 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3652WFRTCR1965S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Tiger Sul Products Llc, Atmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide, Zinc compounds, Manganese, Copper. 2,387 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36504SNBLTHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Big Escambia Creek Gas Plant, Atmore
Major air pollution source. Penalties $200,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000727697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Swift Lumber Inc, Atmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003031772 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Grede Ii, Llc - Brewton, Brewton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $210,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024422971 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Sunbelt Chemical Inc, Atmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011843461 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Huxford Pole & Timber Co. Inc., Huxford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Pentachlorophenol, Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, Copper compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36543HXFRDHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Big Escambia Creek Gas Plant, Atmore
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $200,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000727697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Tr Miller Mill Company Inc, Brewton
Major air pollution source. Penalties $9,760.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012508599 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Brewton Lagoon, Brewton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001934042 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8

Correctional facilities

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

Fountain Correctional Facility, Atmore
EPA FRS registry ID
110015853227
Water system
AL0000560
Health-based violations
0 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
1
Wastewater permit
Yes, 3 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Escambia 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 Escambia 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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