GA / county FIPS 13177 / county research

Lee County, Georgia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Lee County is 173.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 174 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (78), Industrial wastewater discharge (35), Rail grade crossing (31). 2 correctional facilities operate 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: 31.768, -84.1366.

How this county ranks in Georgia

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Lee County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Stomach	New cases	12.2	6.6	1.85xSignificant	7.6 to 18.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	69.9	51.8	1.35xSignificant	57.9 to 83.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	18.5	13.9	1.33x	12 to 27.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	15.9	13	1.22x	10.5 to 23.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	173.2	143.2	1.21xSignificant	153.2 to 195.2	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	13.6	11.3	1.2x	8.1 to 21.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36.3	30.2	1.2x	27.7 to 46.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.5	17.9	1.15x	14.3 to 28.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	504	453.4	1.11xSignificant	470.6 to 539.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.7	18.5	0.9x	11 to 24.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13	14.5	0.9x	8 to 20	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.3	18.7	0.87x	10.4 to 24.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	20.4	23.8	0.86x	14.2 to 28.4	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 Lee County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,772.6	9,842.6	-11%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.1	75.3	-0%	years
Child mortality	46.9	59.8	-22%	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	76.4	96.9	-21%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	16.4	28.6	-43%	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.

Formaldehyde25.06 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.47 per million
Pahpom0.93 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit78
Industrial wastewater discharge35
Rail grade crossing31
Air permit holder (minor source)11
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
Major air pollution source1
Public airport1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Small hazardous waste generator1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)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.

Woodgrain Millwork, Leesburg
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002044895 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Woodgrain Millwork, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002044895 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Schuff Steel Company, Albany
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000360975 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Lee County Utilities Authority (Kinchafoonee Creek Wpcp), Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010040829 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Lee County Landfill, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070006649 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
City Of Leesburg Ms4, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070054282 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Oxford Construction Co. Oxbush Borrow Pit, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070229652 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Schuff Steel Company, Albany
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110000360975 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Woodgrain Millwork, Leesburg
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002044895 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Leesburg, City Of (Leesburg Wpcp), Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010040838 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Cromartie Agricultural Chemicals Inc, Leesburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012706544 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Lee State Prison Improvements, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064584007 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Sunbelt Fleet Services Llc, Leesburg
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072206201 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Cromartie Agricultural Chemicals Inc., Leesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Manganese compounds, Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 31763CRMRT1319U (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Lee State Prison Improvements, Leesburg
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110064584007 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 2.2
Smithville, City Of (Smithville Wpcp), Smithville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010039010 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Martin Marietta Aggregates - Albany Quarry, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005705923 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Farmers Grown Peanuts Llc, Leesburg
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110007086571 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Cromartie Agricultural Chemicals Inc, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012706544 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Gray Distribution Services, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038268763 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Olam Peanut Shelling Co., Inc - Smithville, Smithville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064025674 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Lee County High School Baseball & Softball Fields, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070011364 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Baseball Field - Synergy Sports Academy, Albany
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070013264 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Hillsview Subdivision, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070019747 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Lee County Ms4, Leesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070051832 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

Correctional facilities

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

Lee State Prison Improvements, Leesburg
EPA FRS registry ID
110064584007
Wastewater permit
Yes, 7 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report
Lee State Prison
EPA FRS registry ID
110013140902
Water system
GA1770015
Health-based violations
1 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
19
Contaminants cited
Coliform (TCR)
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Lee 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 Lee 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.

Scan an address in Lee County View on the heat map All Georgia counties