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Hardee County, Florida: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Hardee County is 157.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 166 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (50), Industrial wastewater discharge (37), Rail grade crossing (29). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. 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: 27.4897, -81.8095.

How this county ranks in Florida

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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 Hardee County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Stomach	New cases	11.3	6.6	1.71x	6.3 to 18.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	21.5	14.5	1.48xSignificant	14.6 to 30.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	12.6	8.7	1.45x	7.6 to 19.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	26.7	18.5	1.44xSignificant	18.9 to 36.8	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	22.1	17.9	1.23x	15.1 to 31.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	35.1	30.2	1.16x	26.6 to 45.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	27.5	23.8	1.16x	19.5 to 37.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	157.8	143.2	1.1x	138.4 to 179.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	475.1	453.4	1.05x	440.2 to 512.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	53.9	51.8	1.04x	43.1 to 66.7	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	15.9	18.7	0.85x	10.3 to 23.5	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 Hardee County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,769.2	9,842.6	+20%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	87.4	59.8	+46%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	107.5	96.9	+11%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	25.7	28.6	-10%	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.

Formaldehyde20.86 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.87 per million
Acetaldehyde1.94 per million
Pahpom0.63 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit50
Industrial wastewater discharge37
Rail grade crossing29
Gas station (mapped facility)9
Brownfield property7
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Air permit holder (minor source)4
Small hazardous waste generator4
Major air pollution source3
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Gas power plant3
Large hazardous waste generator2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)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.

Ips Vandolah Power, Wauchula
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Polycyclic aromatic compounds, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene. Reports carcinogens. 2,206 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 33873VNDLH2394V (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Seci Midulla Generating Station, Bowling Green
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 195,444 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 33834SCPYN6697N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Midulla Generating Station, Bowling Green
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035803262 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Auto Restoration Depot Inc, Wauchula
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110027955247 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Mosaic Fertilizer, Llc - Hardee North Pasture Mine, Wauchula
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110051959578 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Triangle Auto Salvage, Wauchula
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,370.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070882680 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Vandolah Power Project, Wauchula
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017411718 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Hardee Power Station, Bowling Green
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064648911 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Profile Products - Florikan, Bowling Green
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds, Copper compounds and 2 more. 114 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3383WFLRKN244CM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Florikan Esa Llc, Bowling Green
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064756296 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Florida Fence Post Co, Ona
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Arsenic compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region). Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 33865FLRDFHWY64 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Florida Fence Post Co, Ona
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000588935 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Hardee Power Station, Bowling Green
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064648911 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Oldcastle Lawn & Garden Inc, Wauchula
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038276442 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Midulla Generating Station, Bowling Green
Gas power plant.
Record ID 7380 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.8
Midulla Generating Station, Bowling Green
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035803262 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Mosaic Fertilizer, Llc - Hardee North Pasture Mine, Wauchula
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110051959578 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Mosaic Fertilizer, Llc - Hardee South Pasture Mine, Wauchula
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064615199 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Hardee Power Station, Bowling Green
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064648911 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Vandolah Power Station, Wauchula
Gas power plant.
Record ID 55415 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.7
Vandolah Power Project, Wauchula
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017411718 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Hardee Power Station, Bowling Green
Gas power plant.
Record ID 50949 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.4
Florida Fertilizer Company Inc, Wauchula
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,731.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002526080 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Midulla Generating Station, Bowling Green
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035803262 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Oldcastle Lawn & Garden Apg, Bowling Green
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds.
TRI facility ID 3383WLDCST6681N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.1

Correctional facilities

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

Hardee Correctional Institute, Bowling Green
EPA FRS registry ID
110013170683
Water system
FL6254754
Health-based violations
1 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
26
Contaminants cited
Coliform (TCR)
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Hardee County

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