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Conway County, Arkansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Conway County is 170.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 259 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (101), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (43), Air permit holder (minor source) (36). 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: 35.2681, -92.6758.

How this county ranks in Arkansas

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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 Conway County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	49.1	30.2	1.63xSignificant	38.5 to 62.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	79.3	51.8	1.53xSignificant	65.7 to 95.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	170.4	143.2	1.19xSignificant	149.4 to 193.8	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	16.4	14.5	1.13x	10.3 to 25.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.5	17.9	1.03x	11.7 to 28	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	464.5	453.4	1.02x	428.9 to 502.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.8	13.9	0.99x	8.4 to 21.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	18.4	18.7	0.98x	12.2 to 27.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	23.1	23.8	0.97x	15.3 to 33.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	11	18.5	0.59x	6.6 to 18	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 Conway County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,472.5	9,842.6	+27%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.1	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	87.6	59.8	+47%	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	95.5	96.9	-1%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	19.1	28.6	-33%	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.

Formaldehyde23.23 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde2.46 per million
Benzene0.95 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge101
NPDES wastewater discharge permit43
Air permit holder (minor source)36
Rail grade crossing35
Gas station (mapped facility)13
Large greenhouse gas emitter7
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Major air pollution source3
Public airport3
Commercial airport2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Brownfield property1
Crematorium (mapped facility)1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Hydroelectric 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.

Green Bay Packaging Inc. Arkansas Kraft Div, Morrilton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Manganese compounds, Acetaldehyde, Ammonia and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,665,728 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72110RKNSSHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.7
Green Bay Packaging, Morrilton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000597890 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Semco Incorporated, Morrilton
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $7,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002373468 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Hixson Lumber Sales, Inc., Plumerville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $15,094.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024982367 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Pinecrest Lumber, Plumerville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002433616 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.6
Countryside Of Cleveland, Cleveland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071368359 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Semco Morrilton, Morrilton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese, Copper. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 7211WSMCMR3INDU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Semco Llc - Petit Jean, Morrilton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese, Copper. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 7211WSMCNC1RECV (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Green Bay Packaging Inc. Pinecrest Div, Plumerville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds. 72 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72127GRNBYHWY64 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.4
Joyce Walls, Plumerville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110066861612 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Green Bay Packaging, Morrilton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000597890 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Semco Morrilton, Morrilton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025046536 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Green Bay Packaging, Morrilton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000597890 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Pinecrest Lumber, Plumerville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002433616 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Enable Gas Transmission, Llc - (Round Mountain Compressor Station), Morrilton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022407947 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
South Brownie Cpf-2, Hattieville
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $2,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039017943 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Crompton Mills, Morrilton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071984219 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Green Bay Packaging, Morrilton
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000597890 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Conway County Regional Water Distribution District, Morrilton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000705014 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Pinecrest Lumber, Plumerville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002433616 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Oppelo, City Of - Oppelo Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant, Oppelo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010064296 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Arkansas Department Of Parks, Heritage & Tourism Petit Jean State Park, Morrilton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010065990 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Doman Lumber, Plumerville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds.
TRI facility ID 72127HXSNLI40FR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Desoto Gathering Company, Llc - Cleveland Water Reuse Recycling Facility, Cleveland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055103169 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Semco Incorporated, Morrilton
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $7,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002373468 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5

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 Conway County

Arkansas 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 Conway County, and their findings.
Arkansas vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Arkansas health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Arkansas 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.
Arkansas 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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