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Houston County, Alabama: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Houston County is 168.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 841 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (255), Industrial wastewater discharge (254), Rail grade crossing (117). 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: 31.1564, -85.2808.

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 Houston County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
Kidney & renal pelvisDeaths5.23.41.53xSignificant3.6 to 7.32020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases24.617.91.37xSignificant20.9 to 28.82019-2023
StomachDeaths3.72.71.37x2.4 to 5.62020-2024
Lung & bronchusDeaths39.330.21.3xSignificant34.9 to 44.12020-2024
Liver & bile ductDeaths8.46.61.27x6.4 to 10.92020-2024
BladderDeaths5.24.11.27x3.6 to 7.22020-2024
Melanoma of the skinDeaths2.521.25x1.4 to 4.12020-2024
PancreasDeaths13.511.31.19x10.9 to 16.62020-2024
Brain & nervous systemDeaths5.24.41.18x3.5 to 7.32020-2024
All cancerDeaths168.5143.21.18xSignificant158.9 to 178.52020-2024
LeukemiaDeaths6.45.71.12x4.6 to 8.82020-2024
Lung & bronchusNew cases58.151.81.12xSignificant52.8 to 63.92019-2023
StomachNew cases7.36.61.11x5.4 to 9.72019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths5.34.81.1x3.7 to 7.42020-2024
EsophagusDeaths3.93.71.05x2.6 to 5.62020-2024
Brain & nervous systemNew cases6.46.21.03x4.5 to 8.72019-2023
Melanoma of the skinNew cases24.423.81.03x20.7 to 28.52019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases18.618.51.01x15.3 to 22.42019-2023
All cancerNew cases452.6453.41x436.5 to 469.22019-2023
BladderNew cases18.118.70.97x15.1 to 21.62019-2023
PancreasNew cases1313.90.94x10.4 to 162019-2023
Liver & bile ductNew cases7.88.70.9x5.9 to 10.12019-2023
EsophagusNew cases4.14.60.89x2.8 to 5.92019-2023
LeukemiaNew cases12.614.50.87x10 to 15.82019-2023
ThyroidNew cases10.8130.83x8.1 to 142019-2023

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 Houston County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death11,251.19,842.6+14%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy73.575.3-2%years
Child mortality63.859.8+7%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality9.46.2+51%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths77.996.9-20%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths16.528.6-42%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.

  • Formaldehyde24.56 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
  • Acetaldehyde2.51 per million
  • Benzene0.83 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit255
  • Industrial wastewater discharge254
  • Rail grade crossing117
  • Gas station (mapped facility)83
  • Air permit holder (minor source)30
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)25
  • Small hazardous waste generator22
  • Brownfield property12
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)12
  • TRI reporting facility11
  • Major air pollution source5
  • Heliport4
  • Public airport2
  • Large hazardous waste generator2
  • Hazardous waste transporter2
  • Landfill (mapped facility)2
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter1
  • Nuclear power plant1
  • Oil-fired 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.

  1. Covenant Steel Warehouse, Dothan

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Manganese, Chromium, Nickel and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 60,632 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 3630WCVNNT4528W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.2

  2. Qualico Steel Co Inc, Webb

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Methyl isobutyl ketone, Manganese, Chromium and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 43,016 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 3637WQLCST7797H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.1

  3. Dunbarton Corp Rediframe Div, Dothan

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene. 78,155 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 36303DNBRT1101T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.8

  4. Qsi, Dothan

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium, Nickel, Lead and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 387 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 3630WQSXXX23CLU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.5

  5. Dunbarton Corporation, Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002373388 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.4

  6. Wayne-Sanderson Farms Llc - Dothan Fresh Plant, Dothan

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Peracetic acid, Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). 17,162 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 36301SHWLL808RO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.3

  7. Covenant Steel Warehouse, Inc., Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110003387022 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  8. Qualico Steel Co Inc, Webb

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110063845969 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.8

  9. Perdue Farms Incorporated - Dothan Processing, Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000369011 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.8

  10. City Of Dothan Sanitary Landfill, Dothan

    Large greenhouse gas emitter.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056413082 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  11. Qsi, Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110063845987 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.9

  12. Joseph M Farley, Columbia

    Nuclear power plant.

    Record ID 6001 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

    Severity 4.8

  13. Gri-Aps Inc., Columbia

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene oxide. Reports carcinogens.

    TRI facility ID 3631WGRPSN52WCH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 4.5

  14. City Of Dothan Sanitary Landfill, Dothan

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056413082 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  15. Apec, Dothan

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Lead, Chromium, Manganese and 1 more. Reports carcinogens.

    TRI facility ID 3630WPCXXX985TE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 4.5

  16. Service Machine, Dothan

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.

    TRI facility ID 3630WSRVCM4566W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 4.5

  17. Ansell Healthcare Site Demo, Dothan

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000369057 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  18. Twitchell Technical Products, Llc, Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000369075 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.3

  19. General Electric Company, Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000368986 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.1

  20. Crestwood Dothan, Dothan

    Oil-fired power plant.

    Record ID 54985 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

    Severity 4

  21. Dunbarton Corporation, Dothan

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002373388 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4

  22. Circle City Transport, Inc., Dothan

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010105117 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4

  23. Couch Ready Mix Inland Dothan Plant, Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110030466671 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4

  24. Service Machine, Dothan

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110057386564 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4

  25. Qualico Steel Co Inc, Webb

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110063845969 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4

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 Houston 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 Houston 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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