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Limestone County, Alabama: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Limestone County is 143.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate and Brain & nervous system deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 1,129 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (482), Industrial wastewater discharge (428), Gas station (mapped facility) (58). 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: 34.7743, -87.0322.

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 Limestone County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	5.5	3.4	1.62xSignificant	3.8 to 7.7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	9.3	6.2	1.5xSignificant	7 to 12.1	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	24	16.4	1.46x	15.2 to 36.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.9	2	1.45x	1.7 to 4.6	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	6.3	4.4	1.43xSignificant	4.5 to 8.6	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.5	17.9	1.15x	17.1 to 24.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.3	4.8	1.1x	3.6 to 7.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	33	30.2	1.09x	28.8 to 37.7	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.2	6.6	1.09x	5.3 to 9.6	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	25.5	23.8	1.07x	21.6 to 29.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.9	11.3	1.05x	9.4 to 14.8	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	6	5.7	1.05x	4.2 to 8.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	53.1	51.8	1.03x	47.7 to 59	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	143.5	143.2	1x	134.4 to 153	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	18.5	18.7	0.99x	15.3 to 22.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.3	8.7	0.95x	6.2 to 10.8	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	415.7	453.4	0.92x	399.9 to 432	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4	4.6	0.87x	2.6 to 6	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	3.2	3.7	0.86x	2 to 4.9	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	11.5	13.9	0.83x	9 to 14.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.1	18.5	0.82x	12.2 to 18.6	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.3	13	0.79x	7.8 to 13.3	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	3.1	4.1	0.76x	1.8 to 4.9	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	4.9	6.6	0.74x	3.3 to 7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	8.5	14.5	0.59x	6.3 to 11.3	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 Limestone County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,777.5	9,842.6	-11%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.1	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	50.4	59.8	-16%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	4.9	6.2	-21%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	64.6	96.9	-33%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	6.5	28.6	-77%	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.

Formaldehyde24.2 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.46 per million
Benzene1 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,129 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit482
Industrial wastewater discharge428
Gas station (mapped facility)58
Rail grade crossing44
Air permit holder (minor source)29
Small hazardous waste generator18
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)17
TRI reporting facility16
Large hazardous waste generator7
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)6
Brownfield property5
Scrapyard (mapped facility)5
Major air pollution source3
Public airport2
Hazardous waste transporter2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Heliport1
Nuclear power plant1
Solar 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.

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing Usa Inc., Madison
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, n-Butyl alcohol, Methyl isobutyl ketone and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 718,282 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3575WMZDTY9GREE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Daikyonishikawa Usa Inc., Madison
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, n-Butyl alcohol, Methyl isobutyl ketone and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 113,711 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3575WDKYNS9GREE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Dura Coat Products Inc., Madison
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Certain glycol ethers, Xylene (mixed isomers), Naphthalene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 54,095 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35756DRCTP26655 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
American Leakless Co Llc, Athens
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Ethylbenzene, Zinc compounds. Reports carcinogens. 38,135 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3561WMRCNL136RY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Carpenter Technology Corp, Tanner
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Cobalt, Manganese and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 33,026 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3567WCRPNT226TH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Tenneco Powertrain, Athens
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, Nickel, Lead, Chromium and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 27,949 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35611JPTRN1500F (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Us Tva Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Athens
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Zinc compounds, Chlorine, Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens. 2,913 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35611STVBRSHAWR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Mazda Toyota Manufacturing , U.S.A., Inc, Madison
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070812560 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Carpenter Technology Corp, Tanner
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055620957 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Snap-On Tools Elkmont Manufacturing, Elkmont
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Nickel, Chromium, Lead and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 317 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3562WSNPNT18771 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Daikyonishikawa U.S.A., Inc., Madison
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070897043 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Dura Coat Products Inc, Madison
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014349507 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Woodbridge Alabama Lp, Tanner
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069286105 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
American Leakless Company Llc, Athens
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071044344 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Carpenter Technology Corp - Athens South, Tanner
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Cobalt, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 57 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3567WCRPNT2211T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Tenneco Powertrain, Athens
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000367601 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Tris Usa Inc, Athens
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Copper. 2,000 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35611TRSSN1803W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Woodbridge Alabama Lp, Tanner
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069286105 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Us Tva Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Athens
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000589355 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Snap On Logistics Company, Elkmont
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110042927241 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Tris Usa, Inc., Athens
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057833858 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Browns Ferry, Decatur
Nuclear power plant.
Record ID 46 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 5
General Electric, Madison
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070118986 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Foley Products Co - Athens, Athens
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3561WFLYPR311EE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.7
Scott 3 Real Estate Llc, Wash' N Go, Harvest
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071500591 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5

Correctional facilities

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

Limestone Correctional, Harvest
EPA FRS registry ID
110007235571
Wastewater permit
Yes, 7 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Limestone 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 Limestone 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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