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Phillips County, Arkansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Phillips County is 214.5 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 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 235 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (72), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (44), Rail grade crossing (29). 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: 34.3792, -90.8285.

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 Phillips County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	50.4	30.2	1.67xSignificant	38 to 66	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	83.8	51.8	1.62xSignificant	68.2 to 102.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	214.5	143.2	1.5xSignificant	187.1 to 245.1	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	17.3	14.5	1.19x	10.2 to 27.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	511.7	453.4	1.13xSignificant	468.6 to 558	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.5	17.9	1.09x	11.9 to 30.6	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	19.9	18.7	1.06x	12.2 to 31	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.8	18.5	0.91x	9.5 to 27.9	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 Phillips County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	20,040.6	9,842.6	+104%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	67.4	75.3	-10%	years
Child mortality	107.2	59.8	+79%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	11.4	6.2	+83%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	176.7	96.9	+82%	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.

Formaldehyde23.42 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.94 per million
Acetaldehyde2.33 per million
Benzene0.68 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge72
NPDES wastewater discharge permit44
Rail grade crossing29
Air permit holder (minor source)21
Gas station (mapped facility)17
Public airport13
Brownfield property13
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Large hazardous waste generator3
Small hazardous waste generator2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Major air pollution source1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

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

Cedar Chemical Corporation, West Helena
Superfund (NPL) site. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ARD990660649 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Helena Water Sewer, Helena
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002040416 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
West Helena Water Utilities, West Helena
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000873840 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Helena Industries Llc, West Helena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, Triphenyltin hydroxide, Nonylphenol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 291 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72390HLNCHHWY49 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Norac Additives Llc, Helena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds. 22,620 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72390THNRCINDUS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Norac Inc, Helena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000598041 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
United Initiators Inc, Helena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Benzoyl chloride, N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, Cumene hydroperoxide, Benzoyl peroxide and 3 more. 1,951 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72342SYRGS334PH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Enviro Tech Chemical Services - Plant 6, Helena
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $99,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063867383 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
United Initiators, Inc., Helena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110032633942 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Enviro Tech Chemical Services-Plant 6, Helena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Peracetic acid, Nitric acid, Bromine, Chlorine. 1,149 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7234WNVRTC724PH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Elaine, City Of, Elaine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,875.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010066908 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Helena Industries, Llc, West Helena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000452359 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Helm Fertilizer Terminal, Inc., Helena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071731490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.4
Southland Improvement District, West Helena
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010065525 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Helm Fertilizer Terminal Inc., Helena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Zinc compounds. 10 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7234WHLMFR645PH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.8
Helena Industries, Llc, West Helena
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000452359 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Helena Compressor Station, Helena
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039082701 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Enviro Tech Chemical Services, Inc. - Plant 6, Helena
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070398649 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
United Initiators, Inc., Helena
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110032633942 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Nu Way Laundry-Mat, Helena
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025108611 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Mcvey Property, Helena
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038693410 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Helena Sportswear, West Helena
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038693429 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cleburne Hotel, Helena
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038693438 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Phillips College Property, Helena
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038693447 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Staton Auto Repair, Helena
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038693456 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) 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 Phillips 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 Phillips 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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