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Union County, Arkansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Union County is 192.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate and Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 683 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (303), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (185), Rail grade crossing (53). 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: 33.1978, -92.5811.

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 Union County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	6.3	3.4	1.85xSignificant	3.5 to 10.6	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	6.9	4.1	1.68x	4 to 11.4	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	10.7	6.6	1.62xSignificant	7.2 to 15.6	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	13.6	8.7	1.56xSignificant	9.7 to 18.8	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.7	3.7	1.54x	3.2 to 9.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	27.4	17.9	1.53xSignificant	21.1 to 35.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	6.9	4.6	1.5x	4 to 11.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	43.5	30.2	1.44xSignificant	35.8 to 52.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	15.7	11.3	1.39x	11.2 to 21.5	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	192.1	143.2	1.34xSignificant	175.2 to 210.3	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	23.9	18.5	1.29x	18 to 31.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	64.1	51.8	1.24xSignificant	54.7 to 74.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	17	13.9	1.22x	12.3 to 22.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.9	14.5	1.1x	11 to 22.2	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	489.5	453.4	1.08xSignificant	462.1 to 518.3	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	17.2	18.7	0.92x	12.4 to 23.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9.3	13	0.72x	5.5 to 14.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	14.7	23.8	0.62x	10.1 to 20.9	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 Union County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	15,151.8	9,842.6	+54%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	70.4	75.3	-6%	years
Child mortality	98	59.8	+64%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	9.8	6.2	+58%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	121.3	96.9	+25%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	24.5	28.6	-14%	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.

Formaldehyde24.45 per million
Hydrazine9.73 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde2.23 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 122 days: 51 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 52, peak 73.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge303
NPDES wastewater discharge permit185
Rail grade crossing53
Air permit holder (minor source)24
Gas station (mapped facility)18
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)18
Major air pollution source16
TRI reporting facility15
Large greenhouse gas emitter11
Large hazardous waste generator10
Hazardous waste transporter9
Small hazardous waste generator6
Brownfield property4
Superfund (NPL) site2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
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.

Great Lakes Chemical, South Plant, El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $117,880.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451038 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Lanxess Corp - Central Plant, El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $215,790.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Ensco, Inc., El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $78,600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000521221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
MacMillan Ring Free Oil, Norphlet
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ARD008049207 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Popile, Inc., El Dorado
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ARD008052508 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Clean Harbors El Dorado Llc, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Zinc compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 17,727,111 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730NVRNM309AM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
El Dorado Refinery, El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $30,620.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017419667 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.9
Dupont El Dorado, El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $102,955.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033151540 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.8
Lsb Chemical Llc, El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $56,940.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000746373 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.7
Lsb Chemical L.L.C, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Methanol, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,778,405 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730LDRDC4500N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.5
Lanxess - Central, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Dichloromethane, Ammonia, Methanol, Bromine and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,386,590 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71731GRTLKHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.5
Lion Oil Co, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Hydrogen cyanide, Ammonia, n-Hexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,306,128 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730LNLRF1000M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.4
Lanxess - South Plant, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Styrene, Toluene, Bromine and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,912,796 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730GRTLKRT7BO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Anthony Forest Products Company, Llc, El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001702346 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.8
Roseburg Forest Products - El Dorado Mdf, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Methanol, Ammonia, Manganese And Manganese Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 159,866 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730DLTNF757DE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Anthony Forest Products Co Urbana, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Lead And Lead Compounds, Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. Reports carcinogens. 147,046 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71768NTHNY1236U (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Roseburg Forest Products Co. - El Dorado Mdf, El Dorado
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $24,115.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451010 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Lycus Ltd, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), 1,2-Dichloroethane, Methanol, Boron trifluoride and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 69,850 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730GRRSN181CO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Chemours El Dorado, El Dorado
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen fluoride, Carbon tetrachloride, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size). Reports carcinogens. 37,219 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730DPNTL322SU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Smackover Refinery, Smackover
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $35,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038160584 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Lanxess - West Plant, Magnolia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Lead And Lead Compounds, Bromine and 3 more. 2,408,972 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 71730GRTLKUNION (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Great Lakes Chemical West Plant, Magnolia
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $45,898.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043973910 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.9
Great Lakes Chemical, South Plant, El Dorado
Major air pollution source. Penalties $117,880.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451038 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Lanxess Corp - Central Plant, El Dorado
Major air pollution source. Penalties $215,790.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000451109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Ensco, Inc., El Dorado
Major air pollution source. Penalties $78,600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000521221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5

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 Union 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 Union 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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