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Jefferson County, Arkansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jefferson County is 181.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 644 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (233), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (123), Rail grade crossing (100). 3 correctional facilities operate in the county. 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: 34.2613, -91.9616.

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 Jefferson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Stomach	New cases	11.4	6.6	1.73xSignificant	8.4 to 15.2	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	29.7	17.9	1.66xSignificant	24.4 to 35.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	80.3	51.8	1.55xSignificant	72.2 to 89.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	45.8	30.2	1.52xSignificant	39.7 to 52.7	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	4	2.7	1.48x	2.4 to 6.4	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.7	6.2	1.4x	5.9 to 12.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.6	5.7	1.33x	5.1 to 10.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.5	3.4	1.32x	2.7 to 7.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	8.7	6.6	1.32x	6.2 to 12.1	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	181.5	143.2	1.27xSignificant	168.8 to 195	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	557.8	453.4	1.23xSignificant	534.9 to 581.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	17.1	13.9	1.23x	13.4 to 21.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.4	4.4	1.23x	3.3 to 8.3	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	4.4	3.7	1.19x	2.6 to 7.2	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	4.7	4.1	1.15x	2.8 to 7.5	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	5.2	4.6	1.13x	3.2 to 8.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.8	18.5	1.02x	14.6 to 23.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	14.7	14.5	1.01x	11.2 to 19	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	18.7	18.7	1x	14.7 to 23.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.1	11.3	0.98x	8.1 to 14.9	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.6	4.8	0.96x	2.7 to 7.5	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.8	8.7	0.9x	5.4 to 10.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	17.1	23.8	0.72x	13.2 to 22	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	6.3	13	0.48x	4 to 9.6	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 Jefferson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	15,931.3	9,842.6	+62%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	70.3	75.3	-7%	years
Child mortality	105.2	59.8	+76%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.9	6.2	+44%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	125.9	96.9	+30%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	20.5	28.6	-28%	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.

Formaldehyde24.39 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde2.31 per million
Benzene0.77 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge233
NPDES wastewater discharge permit123
Rail grade crossing100
Brownfield property49
Gas station (mapped facility)33
Air permit holder (minor source)28
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)15
TRI reporting facility13
Major air pollution source12
Small hazardous waste generator8
Large greenhouse gas emitter7
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)6
Large hazardous waste generator4
Public airport3
Correctional facility (prison or jail)3
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Heliport1
Biomass power plant1
Coal power plant1
Gas power plant1
Scrapyard (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.

Twin Rivers Pine Bluff Llc, White Hall
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $9,580.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Suzano Packaging, Pine Bluff
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Hydrogen sulfide, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Ammonia and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 15,212,067 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71611NTRNTFAIRF (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
American Kraft Paper Industries Llc, White Hall
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Hydrogen sulfide, Ammonia, Acetaldehyde and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,079,764 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7160WTWNRV171JE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.6
Suzano Packaging, Llc, Pine Bluff
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $262,413.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.5
White Bluff Generating Plant, Redfield
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium And Barium Compounds, Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Hydrogen fluoride, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,920,102 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72132NTRGY1100W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Tyson Poultry Inc Pine Bluff Jefferson Parkway Plant, Pine Bluff
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Peracetic acid, Nickel, Chromium and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 71,792 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71602TYSNF5505J (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Kiswire Pine Bluff Inc, Pine Bluff
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Lead, Copper, Zinc compounds. Reports carcinogens. 23,414 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71602TRFLR5100I (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Planter Cotton Oil Mill, Pine Bluff
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 1,490,719 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71601PLNTR2901P (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
White Bluff, Redfield
Coal power plant.
Record ID 6009 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 7.6
Twin Rivers Pine Bluff Llc, White Hall
Major air pollution source. Penalties $9,580.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Twin Rivers Pine Bluff Llc, White Hall
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $9,580.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Two Rivers Premium Oils, Llc., Pine Bluff
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045698330 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Us Army Pine Bluff Arsenal, Pine Bluff
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024424096 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Twin Rivers Pine Bluff Llc, White Hall
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $9,580.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
White Bluff Plant, Redfield
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Suzano Packaging, Llc, Pine Bluff
Major air pollution source. Penalties $262,413.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Kiswire Pine Bluff Inc, Pine Bluff
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450798 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Tyson Foods - Pine Bluff Jefferson Parkway Plant, Pine Bluff
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450805 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
National Ctr For Toxicological Research, Jefferson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Mixture, Chlorine. 5,001 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7207WNTNLC39NCT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Hoover Treated Wood Products Inc, Pine Bluff
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Arsenic compounds, Arsenic And Arsenic Compounds, Copper compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 39 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71611HVRTRDIXIE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Wheeling Machine Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Lead, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 24 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71602WHLNG5411I (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Suzano Packaging, Llc, Pine Bluff
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $262,413.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Us Army Pine Bluff Arsenal, Pine Bluff
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024424096 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Flint Group Packaging Inks N.A. Corp, White Hall
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Barium And Barium Compounds, Certain glycol ethers, Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)) and 1 more. 499 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7160WMRCNN34NHU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Suzano Packaging, Llc, Pine Bluff
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $262,413.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000450878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Arkansas Dept Of Corrections-Tucker, Tucker
EPA FRS registry ID
110064253828
Wastewater permit
Yes, 8 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report
Arkansas Dept Of Corrections-Tucker Intermediate Reformatory, Tucker
EPA FRS registry ID
110009124688
Wastewater permit
Yes, 7 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report
Arkansas Dept Of Corrections - Tucker, Pine Bluff
EPA FRS registry ID
110011376402
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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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