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Howard County, Arkansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Howard County is 182 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 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 253 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (88), Rail grade crossing (77), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (58). 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: 34.052, -93.9544.

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 Howard County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	45.1	30.2	1.49xSignificant	31.6 to 62.8	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24.7	17.9	1.38x	15 to 38.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	69.7	51.8	1.35xSignificant	52.6 to 91	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	182	143.2	1.27xSignificant	153.7 to 214.5	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	413.8	453.4	0.91x	369.8 to 462	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 Howard County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,555	9,842.6	+28%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.4	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	102.7	59.8	+72%	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	86.3	96.9	-11%	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.

Formaldehyde23.95 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.27 per million
Benzene0.82 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge88
Rail grade crossing77
NPDES wastewater discharge permit58
Air permit holder (minor source)9
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
TRI reporting facility5
Major air pollution source3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Public airport1
Brownfield property1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

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

Weyerhaeuser Nr Co, Dierks
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde. Reports carcinogens. 703,800 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71833WYRHSHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Tyson Poultry Inc. - Nashville Processing Plant, Nashville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Peracetic acid. 2,039,650 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71852TYSNF100EC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Husqvarna Forestry Products Na Inc, Nashville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Lead and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 21,265 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71852PLNWD1POUL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Hill Jan Plating Llc, Nashville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 12,526 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71852JNZPLHWY36 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Certainteed Gypsum Nashville, Nashville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Mercury. Reports carcinogens. 688 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7185WCRTNT794HW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Weyerhauser Nr Company - Dierks Mill, Dierks
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002129535 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Certainteed Gypsum Nashville, Nashville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $8,640.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006035762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Nashville Waste Water Treatment Plant, Nashville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000752855 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Tyson Poultry, Inc. - Nashville Further Processing Plant, Nashville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110021362434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Certainteed Gypsum Nashville, Nashville
Major air pollution source. Penalties $8,640.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006035762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Hill Jan Plating Llc, Nashville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451289 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Certainteed Gypsum Nashville, Nashville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $8,640.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006035762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Certainteed Gypsum Nashville, Nashville
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $8,640.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006035762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Justin Reed/Alexandria Reed, Nashville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069258626 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Marvin & Lori Eubanks, Saratoga
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070083712 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
John Miller, Nashville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070158480 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Hannah Provence Atu, Mineral Springs
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071439034 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Pilgrims Pride Corporation - Nashville Feed Mill, Nashville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069565704 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Hill Jan Plating Llc, Nashville
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451289 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Weyerhauser Nr Company - Dierks Mill, Dierks
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002129535 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Upper Sw Regional Solid Waste Management District, Nashville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010068050 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Mineral Springs, City Of-Wwtp, Mineral Springs
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $4,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006786718 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Former Howard County Memorial Hospital, Nashville
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071968394 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Weyerhauser Nr Company - Dierks Mill, Dierks
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002129535 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Upper Sw Regional Solid Waste Management District, Nashville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010068050 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3

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 Howard 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 Howard 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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