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Morgan County, Alabama: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Morgan County is 152.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Brain & nervous system deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 1,244 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (468), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (395), Rail grade crossing (81). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 40 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: 34.4844, -86.835.

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 Morgan County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	3.1	2	1.55x	2 to 4.6	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	9.5	6.2	1.53xSignificant	7.3 to 12.2	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	23.6	16.4	1.44x	15.7 to 34.1	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	6.2	4.4	1.41xSignificant	4.5 to 8.3	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	24.4	18.7	1.3xSignificant	21.1 to 28.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	39.1	30.2	1.29xSignificant	35 to 43.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	62.5	51.8	1.21xSignificant	57.2 to 68.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.5	17.9	1.2xSignificant	18.3 to 25.3	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.9	4.1	1.2x	3.4 to 6.7	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	26.5	23.8	1.11x	22.9 to 30.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	152.5	143.2	1.06xSignificant	144 to 161.4	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	447.2	453.4	0.99x	432.2 to 462.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.7	4.8	0.98x	3.3 to 6.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	10.7	11.3	0.95x	8.5 to 13.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8	8.7	0.92x	6.2 to 10.2	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.2	4.6	0.91x	2.9 to 6	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.1	5.7	0.89x	3.6 to 7	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.8	6.6	0.88x	4.3 to 7.8	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	2.8	3.4	0.82x	1.8 to 4.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	11.2	13.9	0.81x	8.9 to 13.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	13.4	18.5	0.72x	10.9 to 16.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9.4	13	0.72x	7.1 to 12.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	2.6	3.7	0.7x	1.7 to 4.1	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	9.9	14.5	0.68x	7.7 to 12.6	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	4.5	6.6	0.68x	3.2 to 6.3	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 Morgan County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,501.6	9,842.6	+27%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.8	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	84.3	59.8	+41%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.4	6.2	+3%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	97.6	96.9	+1%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	26.6	28.6	-7%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 40 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde24.69 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.46 per million
Acrylonitrile2.21 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 288 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 41, peak 71.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,244 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Industrial wastewater discharge468
NPDES wastewater discharge permit395
Rail grade crossing81
Air permit holder (minor source)62
Gas station (mapped facility)53
Small hazardous waste generator41
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)30
TRI reporting facility27
Major air pollution source16
Brownfield property16
Large greenhouse gas emitter13
Large hazardous waste generator11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)6
Scrapyard (mapped facility)6
Hazardous waste transporter4
Public airport3
Heliport3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Gas power plant2
EPA air quality monitor1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

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

Triana/Tennessee River, Limestone, Morgan
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 61.4. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ALD983166299 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Daikin America Inc, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), Tetrafluoroethylene, Methanol, Vinyl chloride and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 715,538 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601DKNMRSTATE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
3m Chemical Operations' Decatur Facility, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol, Methanol, Methyl tert-butyl ether, Tetrafluoroethylene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 637,212 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35602MCMPNSTATE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Indorama Ventures, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), p-Xylene, m-Xylene, o-Xylene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,428,551 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601MCCHMFINLE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.7
Ascend Performance Materials Operations Llc-Decatur Plant, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Acrylonitrile, Ammonia, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 4,414,258 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601MNSNTCOURT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.6
Mda Manufacturing Inc, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), Tetrafluoroethylene, Hydrogen fluoride, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 572,679 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601MDMNFSTATE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.9
Bunge North America, Inc., Decatur
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $24,600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000367549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.5
Toray Composite Materials (America) Inc., Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Acrylonitrile. Reports carcinogens. 82,697 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601TRYCR23HWY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Itw Sexton Inc, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, n-Butyl alcohol, Formaldehyde, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 60,929 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35603SXTNC3101S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Polyplex Usa Llc, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol, Formaldehyde, Antimony And Antimony Compounds, Antimony compounds. Reports carcinogens. 50,585 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3560WPLYPL31MAL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Hexcel Corp, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol, Acrylonitrile, Nitric acid, Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 50,335 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35603HSPNC3300M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Bunge N.A. Inc., Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 3,831,359 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35602BNGCR1400M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Ineos Styrolution America Llc, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methyl methacrylate. Reports carcinogens. 39,595 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35602PLYSRPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Nucor Steel Decatur Llc, Trinity
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 19,021 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35603TRCST4301H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Copper, Propylene, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 11,412 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601GNRLL2328E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Ascend (Decatur Plant), Decatur
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007235269 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.4
Indorama Decatur Site, Decatur
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056961417 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Falkville Wood Treating Inc., Falkville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $7,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110042843741 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.1
3m Chemical Operations' Decatur Facility, Decatur
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000367567 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Wayne-Sanderson Farms Llc - Decatur Prepared Foods, Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 52,607 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601WYNFR112PL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Polyplex Usa Llc, Decatur
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044302242 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Falkville Wood Treating Inc, Falkville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Creosote, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Reports carcinogens. 427 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35622FLKVL4384H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Mda Manufacturing Inc, Decatur
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045447469 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Toray Composite Materials America, Inc, Decatur
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007232752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Chore-Time Cage Systems Inc., Decatur
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper, Lead, Chromium and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 294 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 35601CHRTMRT2SH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4

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 Morgan 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 Morgan 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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