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Jackson County, Arkansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jackson County is 210.9 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 2.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 197 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (66), Rail grade crossing (49), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (39). 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: 35.628, -91.2037.

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 Jackson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	70.5	30.2	2.33xSignificant	55.8 to 88.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	82.5	51.8	1.59xSignificant	66.4 to 101.8	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	28	17.9	1.56xSignificant	18 to 41.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	210.9	143.2	1.47xSignificant	184.2 to 240.6	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	15.9	11.3	1.41x	9.4 to 25.9	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	19.2	13.9	1.38x	11.7 to 30	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	22.3	18.7	1.19x	14.3 to 33.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	493.8	453.4	1.09x	451.7 to 539.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	22.4	23.8	0.94x	14.2 to 34.1	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 Jackson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	14,435.5	9,842.6	+47%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	70.5	75.3	-6%	years
Child mortality	81.5	59.8	+36%	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	90.9	96.9	-6%	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.

Formaldehyde22.5 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.95 per million
Acetaldehyde2.32 per million
Benzene0.83 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 122 days: 76 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 46, peak 88.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge66
Rail grade crossing49
NPDES wastewater discharge permit39
Air permit holder (minor source)15
Gas station (mapped facility)7
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Major air pollution source3
Public airport3
TRI reporting facility3
EPA air quality monitor1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Brownfield property1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Small hazardous waste generator1
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.

Arkansas Steel Associates Llc, Newport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 31,437 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72112RKNSSVANDY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Scott Petroleum Corp, Newport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Benzene, Methyl tert-butyl ether, Toluene, Propylene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,875 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72112FRMRS1033R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Arkansas Steel Associates, Newport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451671 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
NEWPORT, Newport
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 050670001 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 6
Shearer'S Foods, Newport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). 265 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72112MDLLN3636M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.9
Breckenridge Union Water Assoc-Wtp 1, Newport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013002240 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Granges Americas Inc, Newport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 72112NTNLLHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Harsco Metals-Asa, Newport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds. 44 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7211WNSRVX283VA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.3
Arkansas Steel Associates, Newport
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451671 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Granges Americas Inc., Newport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000597907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Tuckerman Water Treatment Plnt, Tuckerman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011376368 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Shearer'S Foods, Newport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024568813 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Amagon, City Of, Amagon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006656653 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Arkansas Steel Associates, Newport
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451671 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Arkansas Steel Associates, Newport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451671 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Granges Americas Inc., Newport
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000597907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Newport, City Of, Newport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000759242 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Mrt-Tuckerman Compressor Station, Tuckerman
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007349299 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Tuckerman, City Of - Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tuckerman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010067284 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Swifton Water Treatment Plant, Swifton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010132356 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Former Ever Corporation Building, Newport
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071984220 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Arkansas Steel Associates, Newport
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451671 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Granges Americas Inc., Newport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000597907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Newport, City Of-Hwy 14, Newport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064606207 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Swifton, City Of, Swifton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010066463 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8

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 Jackson 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 Jackson 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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