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Pulaski County, Arkansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Pulaski County is 153.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Brain & nervous system deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 2,617 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (950), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (704), Gas station (mapped facility) (226). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 40 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: 34.7536, -92.3139.

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 Pulaski County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.5	4.4	1.25xSignificant	4.6 to 6.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36.8	30.2	1.22xSignificant	34.4 to 39.3	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	28	23.8	1.18xSignificant	25.8 to 30.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	60.4	51.8	1.17xSignificant	57.4 to 63.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	7.1	6.2	1.15x	6 to 8.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.2	17.9	1.13xSignificant	18.4 to 22.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.4	6.6	1.12x	6.3 to 8.5	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.8	3.4	1.12x	3.1 to 4.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.6	11.3	1.12x	11.3 to 14.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.7	8.7	1.11x	8.5 to 11	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	496.6	453.4	1.1xSignificant	487.4 to 505.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.9	13.9	1.07x	13.4 to 16.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	153.3	143.2	1.07xSignificant	148.3 to 158.4	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	7	6.6	1.06x	6 to 8.2	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.3	4.1	1.05x	3.5 to 5.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.1	18.5	1.03x	17.3 to 21	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	14.3	14.5	0.99x	12.8 to 16	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	3.6	3.7	0.97x	2.9 to 4.5	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	2.5	2.7	0.93x	1.8 to 3.2	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	4.2	4.6	0.91x	3.4 to 5.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.2	5.7	0.91x	4.3 to 6.3	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	14.8	16.4	0.9x	11.3 to 19.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.8	18.7	0.9x	15.2 to 18.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.2	4.8	0.88x	3.4 to 5.1	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	1.5	2	0.75x	1 to 2.1	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	9.7	13	0.75x	8.4 to 11.1	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 Pulaski County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,282.7	9,842.6	+25%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.8	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	90.2	59.8	+51%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.9	6.2	+43%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	104.7	96.9	+8%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	32.3	28.6	+13%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 40 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde26.01 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde2.5 per million
Naphthalene1.56 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 114 good, 4 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 55, peak 138.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

2,617 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Industrial wastewater discharge950
NPDES wastewater discharge permit704
Gas station (mapped facility)226
Rail grade crossing192
Brownfield property132
Air permit holder (minor source)113
Small hazardous waste generator60
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)43
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)41
Large hazardous waste generator40
TRI reporting facility33
Major air pollution source18
Hazardous waste transporter11
Heliport9
Scrapyard (mapped facility)9
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)8
Public airport5
Commercial airport4
Landfill (mapped facility)4
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)4
EPA air quality monitor3
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Biomass power plant2
Hydroelectric plant1
Gas power plant1
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.

Vertac, Inc., Jacksonville
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 65.5. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ARD000023440 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
U.S. Army National Guard Camp Robinson Ranges, North Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 112,335 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72199SRMYC131MI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Koppers Inc. (North Little Rock Ar), North Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Creosote, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Reports carcinogens. 86,720 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72117KPPRS2201E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Hall Tank Co, North Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Manganese, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 58,693 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72114HLLTN21EAS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Ppg Protective & Marine Coat Ings, Alexander
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Butyl alcohol, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Methyl isobutyl ketone and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 46,578 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72209MRNNM11605 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Ineos Composites, Jacksonville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Ethylene glycol, Maleic anhydride, Dicyclopentadiene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 44,263 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72076RSTCH1901R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Lm Wind Power Blades (Usa) Inc, Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 27,532 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72206LMGLS8FRAZ (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
PARR, North Little Rock
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 051190007 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 7.8
Jason International Inc, North Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 18,872 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72118JSNNT7500O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
3m Co - Little Rock, Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Copper compounds, Manganese compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. 1,138,981 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72216MXXXXPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
DOYLE SPRINGS ROAD, Little Rock
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 051191008 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 7.5
Evonik Corp, Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Molybdenum trioxide, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Cobalt And Cobalt Compounds, Nickel And Nickel Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,370 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72206PRCLC10000 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Ppg Protective & Marine Coatings, Alexander
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $6,048.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035822063 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Little Rock City Sw Landfill, Little Rock
Major air pollution source. Penalties $5,940.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001700213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene, Thiols, C8-20, γ-ω-perfluoro, telomers with acrylamide, Tetrabromobisphenol A, 1-Propanaminium, 3-amino-N-(carboxymethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-, N-[2-[(γ-ω-perfluoro-C4-20-alkyl)thio]acetyl] derivs., inner salts. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 3 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72201FLCNJ10THL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
3m Industrial Mineral Products, Little Rock
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040995199 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
W&W|Afco Steel, Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Zinc (fume or dust). 26,341 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72202FCSTL1423E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Caterpillar Inc. - Nlr, North Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Ethylene glycol, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 284 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7211WCTRPL921FA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Little Rock City Sw Landfill, Little Rock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,940.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001700213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Koppers, Inc., North Little Rock
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451715 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
U.S. Dod Usaf Little Rock Afb Ar, Little Rock Afb
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylbenzene, Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens. 118 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 72099SRFRC314CE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Novus Arkansas Llc, Little Rock
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Zinc compounds, Manganese compounds, Copper compounds and 1 more. 10,627 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7220WNVSRK792SL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Welspun Tubular Llc, Little Rock
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $61,300.
EPA FRS registry ID 110032932325 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Ashland Specialty Chemical Co, Jacksonville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451626 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
U.S. Army National Guard Camp Robinson Ranges, North Little Rock
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037072128 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6

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 Pulaski 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 Pulaski 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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