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Santa Cruz County, Arizona: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Santa Cruz County is 103.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 197 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (74), Rail grade crossing (31), Brownfield property (20). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 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: 31.5328, -110.8121.

How this county ranks in Arizona

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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 Santa Cruz County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	New cases	4.8	4.6	1.04x	2.7 to 8.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5	4.8	1.04x	3 to 8.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.5	17.9	0.92x	11.9 to 22.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	20.5	23.8	0.86x	15.8 to 26.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.2	18.5	0.82x	11.1 to 20.4	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.2	6.6	0.79x	2.9 to 8.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.7	8.7	0.77x	4.3 to 10.2	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	103.9	143.2	0.73x	93 to 115.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	324	453.4	0.71x	303.8 to 345.3	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	12.7	18.7	0.68x	9.1 to 17.3	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	8.6	13	0.66x	5.2 to 13.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	8.9	13.9	0.64x	5.9 to 13.1	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	4.2	6.6	0.64x	2.4 to 7.1	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	8.9	14.5	0.61x	5.6 to 13.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	30.3	51.8	0.58x	24.6 to 37.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	6.6	11.3	0.58x	4.2 to 10	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	15.8	30.2	0.52x	11.8 to 20.9	2020-2024

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 Santa Cruz County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,446.8	9,842.6	-35%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	79.9	75.3	+6%	years
Child mortality	43.6	59.8	-27%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5	6.2	-19%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	68.5	96.9	-29%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	27.2	28.6	-5%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde11.73 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.56 per million
Benzene0.77 per million
Acetaldehyde0.61 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 364 days: 190 good, 3 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 49, peak 187.

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 discharge74
Rail grade crossing31
Brownfield property20
Gas station (mapped facility)16
NPDES wastewater discharge permit16
Scrapyard (mapped facility)10
Small hazardous waste generator5
Landfill (mapped facility)4
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Major air pollution source2
EPA air quality monitor2
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Commercial airport1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Gas power plant1
Solar power plant1
Wastewater plant (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.

Hermosa, Patagonia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Zinc compounds, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead And Lead Compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 153,820 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 8562WHRMSX749HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
NOGALES POST OFFICE, Nogales
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 040230004 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 7.3
Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rio Rico
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028190419 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Hermosa, Patagonia
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070550508 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Cpc Southwest Materials Rio Rico Plant, Rio Rico
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025332094 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Us Cbp Nogales Border Patrol Station & Range #Az0047, Nogales
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 8562WSCBPN15WES (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Us Border Patrol, Nogales
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039269751 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Valencia Power Plant, Nogales
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015956009 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Wholesum Farms Arizona Llc, Amado
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070942024 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Valencia, Nogales
Gas power plant.
Record ID 6515 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.1
Multi Metals Inc. Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039352553 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
624 N. Morley, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039545917 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
50 Bridge Road Property, Tubac
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039545935 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
490 N. Chenoweth Avenue Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039545944 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
40 E. Jefferson Street Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039545962 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
489 N. Arroyo Boulevard Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546300 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
2 N. Pendleton Drive Property, Rio Rico
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546328 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
2150 N. Congress Drive Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546346 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
1068 Circulo Golondrina Property, Rio Rico
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546364 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
La Loma Grande Llc Property 16, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546382 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Baltazar Garcia Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546417 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Lochiel Elementary School Property, Lochiel
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546426 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Trust # 7659 Llc Property 21, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546462 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
The Barr Brothers Family Llc Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546480 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Kyriakis Property, Nogales
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039546523 (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 Santa Cruz County

Arizona 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 Santa Cruz County, and their findings.
Arizona vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Arizona health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Arizona 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.
Arizona 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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