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Effingham County, Georgia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Effingham County is 169.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 565 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (267), Industrial wastewater discharge (137), Rail grade crossing (64). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 32.3456, -81.3227.

How this county ranks in Georgia

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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 Effingham County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	5.7	3.4	1.68xSignificant	3.5 to 8.9	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	35.5	23.8	1.49xSignificant	29.3 to 42.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	44.1	30.2	1.46xSignificant	37.3 to 51.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	74.9	51.8	1.45xSignificant	65.8 to 84.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.6	4.8	1.38x	4 to 10.3	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	24.4	18.5	1.32xSignificant	19.1 to 30.6	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	23.1	17.9	1.29xSignificant	18.2 to 29	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	23.4	18.7	1.25x	18.1 to 29.7	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.4	4.4	1.23x	3.1 to 8.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	169.3	143.2	1.18xSignificant	155.1 to 184.5	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	525.8	453.4	1.16xSignificant	501 to 551.5	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	7	6.2	1.13x	4.3 to 10.7	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	7.3	6.6	1.11x	4.5 to 11.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.7	4.6	1.02x	2.6 to 7.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.7	6.6	1.02x	4 to 10.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.6	14.5	0.94x	9.9 to 18.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.3	5.7	0.93x	3 to 8.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.9	13.9	0.93x	9.3 to 17.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.1	11.3	0.89x	7 to 14.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.2	8.7	0.83x	4.5 to 11	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.7	13	0.82x	7.5 to 14.9	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 Effingham County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,467.1	9,842.6	-4%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74.9	75.3	-0%	years
Child mortality	61.7	59.8	+3%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7.7	6.2	+23%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	70.4	96.9	-27%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	20.3	28.6	-29%	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.

Formaldehyde22.5 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million
Acetaldehyde2.16 per million
Benzene0.72 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit267
Industrial wastewater discharge137
Rail grade crossing64
Gas station (mapped facility)22
Air permit holder (minor source)18
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)11
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)10
Small hazardous waste generator7
TRI reporting facility5
Major air pollution source4
Public airport4
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Landfill (mapped facility)3
Gas power plant3
Large hazardous waste generator2
Solar power plant2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Oil-fired power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Mcintosh Electric Generating Plant, Rincon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens. 2,058,180 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31326SVNNHHWY27 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Georgia-Pacific Savannah River Llc, Rincon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Vanadium compounds, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Nickel compounds, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,228,124 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31326FRTHWROUTE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.2
Georgia Pacific Consumer Operations, Llc (Savannah River Mill), Rincon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061627271 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Hanson Pipe & Products Southeast Rincon Plant, Rincon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022811260 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.7
Simpson Lumber Co Meldrim Operations, Meldrim
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002438997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Ga Power Plant Mcintosh, Rincon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000516273 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Cp&P Rincon Pipe, Rincon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 173 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31326SHRMN5EBEN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Simpson Lumber Co Meldrim Operations, Meldrim
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002438997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Drt America Llc, Rincon
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070517775 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Interfor U.S. Inc. Meldrim Div, Meldrim
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 14 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31318NTRNT911OL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Georgia Pacific Consumer Operations, Llc (Savannah River Mill), Rincon
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061627271 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Faulkville Chip Mill & Woodyard, Bloomingdale
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037071673 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Exley Lumber Company, Clyo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001420114 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Georgia Pacific Consumer Operations, Llc (Savannah River Mill), Rincon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061627271 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Rincon Mine, Rincon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070017220 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Morgan Pit #2, Guyton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070029584 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
E.J.'S Pit, Bloomingdale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070031493 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Indigo Surface Mine, Springfield
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070031963 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Nease Pit, Guyton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070032102 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Stagecoach Borrow Pit, Bloomingdale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070696728 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Meldrim Materials - Sand Hill Surface Mine, Guyton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070893353 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Srm Plant #318-Guyton, Guyton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071509591 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Srm Plant #314-Eden, Bloomingdale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071512221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Hall Pit, Guyton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071541669 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Oldcastle Savannah, Guyton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071955635 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3

Correctional facilities

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

Effingham County Sheriff'S Office & Jail, Springfield
EPA FRS registry ID
110070020325
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Effingham County

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