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Washington County, Alabama: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Washington County is 159.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 246 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (108), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (47), Rail grade crossing (31). 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: 31.4068, -88.1879.

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 Washington County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	New cases	16.2	14.5	1.12x	9.1 to 27.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	159.4	143.2	1.11x	136.1 to 185.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.9	17.9	1.11x	11.6 to 32	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	468.1	453.4	1.03x	425.9 to 513.8	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	17.6	18.7	0.94x	10.7 to 28.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	48.1	51.8	0.93x	36.4 to 62.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.7	18.5	0.9x	9.8 to 27.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	26.6	30.2	0.88x	18 to 38.7	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	15.2	23.8	0.64x	8.6 to 25.4	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 Washington County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,864.1	9,842.6	+31%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.6	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	94.3	59.8	+58%	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	98.8	96.9	+2%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	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.

Formaldehyde23.38 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.37 per million
Pahpom0.66 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge108
NPDES wastewater discharge permit47
Rail grade crossing31
Air permit holder (minor source)11
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)9
Major air pollution source8
Gas station (mapped facility)7
TRI reporting facility7
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Public airport2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Heliport2
Gas power plant2
Superfund (NPL) site2
Small hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
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.

Ciba-Geigy Corp. (McIntosh Plant), Mcintosh
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 53.4. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ALD001221902 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Olin Corp. (McIntosh Plant), Mcintosh
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 39.7. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ALD008188708 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Basf Corp, Mc Intosh
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Xylene (mixed isomers), Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), tert-Butyl alcohol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 1,750,425 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36653CBGGYGEIGY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Tate & Lyle Sucralose Llc, Mc Intosh
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Dimethylamine, Methanol, Cyclohexane and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 526,275 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36553MCNLSINDUS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.9
Huntsman Advanced Materials Llc, Mc Intosh
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Epichlorohydrin, Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Butyl alcohol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 272,209 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36553HNTSM555HU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Am/Ns Calvert Llc, Calvert
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Nickel compounds, Lead compounds and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 88,282 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3656WTHYSS1THYS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Olin Corp, Mc Intosh
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), Chlorine, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Asbestos (friable). Reports carcinogens. 65,282 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36553LNCRPPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Am/Ns Calvert Llc, Calvert
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110048959221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.7
Basf Corp, Mc Intosh
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000605051 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Olin Corp. Mcintosh, Alabama Plant, Mcintosh
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $80,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037311263 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Tate & Lyle Sucralose Inc, Mc Intosh
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007232315 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Charles R Lowman Power Plant, Leroy
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Lead compounds, Hydrogen fluoride and 3 more. 46,361 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36548CHRLSCARSO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Steel Warehouse, Calvert
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 35 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3651WSTLWR1INDU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Resin Solutions Llc - Chatom Facility, Chatom
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Acrylic acid. 3,194 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 36518RCKLNHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Huntsman Advanced Materials Americas Inc, Mc Intosh
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067041007 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Resin Solutions, Llc, Chatom
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055053926 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Am/Ns Calvert Llc, Calvert
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110048959221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Mmc Materials Gulf Coast Llc - Mcintosh Plant, Mc Intosh
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3655WMMCMT55HIG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.8
Am/Ns Calvert Llc, Calvert
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110048959221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Lowman Energy Center, Leroy
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056968278 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Leroy High School, Leroy
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020743917 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Olin Corp. Mcintosh, Alabama Plant, Mcintosh
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $80,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037311263 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Mmc Materials Inc - Mcintosh Plant, Mc Intosh
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070244580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Basf Corp, Mc Intosh
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000605051 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Alabama Power Company, Mcintosh
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041071149 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8

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 Washington 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 Washington 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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