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Polk County, Georgia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Polk County is 185.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate and Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 1,860 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (1,501), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (168), Rail grade crossing (94). 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: 33.9981, -85.1824.

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 Polk County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	51.1	30.2	1.69xSignificant	42.5 to 60.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	84.8	51.8	1.64xSignificant	74 to 96.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	10.4	6.6	1.58xSignificant	6.9 to 15.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	13.6	8.7	1.56xSignificant	9.5 to 19	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	26.9	18.7	1.44xSignificant	20.8 to 34.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	185.8	143.2	1.3xSignificant	169.1 to 203.8	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	7.3	5.7	1.28x	4.3 to 11.5	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	8.2	6.6	1.24x	5.1 to 12.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	490.8	453.4	1.08xSignificant	463.5 to 519.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.8	11.3	1.04x	8.1 to 16.9	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.6	14.5	0.94x	9.3 to 19.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13	13.9	0.94x	8.9 to 18.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.4	17.9	0.92x	11.7 to 22.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.4	18.5	0.89x	11.7 to 22.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	18.8	23.8	0.79x	13.5 to 25.5	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9.1	13	0.7x	5.5 to 14.1	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 Polk County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,660.5	9,842.6	+39%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71	75.3	-6%	years
Child mortality	73.3	59.8	+23%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7.1	6.2	+15%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	112	96.9	+16%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	40.8	28.6	+42%	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.

Formaldehyde24.05 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.87 per million
Acetaldehyde2.35 per million
Benzene0.96 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,860 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Industrial wastewater discharge1,501
NPDES wastewater discharge permit168
Rail grade crossing94
Gas station (mapped facility)30
Air permit holder (minor source)24
TRI reporting facility7
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)7
Major air pollution source6
Large hazardous waste generator5
Small hazardous waste generator4
Hazardous waste transporter3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
Public airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Battery storage plant1
Gas power plant1
Solar 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.

Axillon Aerospace (Rockmart), Inc., Rockmart
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $7,073.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356659 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Sheboygan Paint Co, Cedartown
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $148,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.5
Sheboygan Paint Co, Cedartown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, sec-Butyl alcohol, Xylene (mixed isomers), 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 123,262 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 30125SHBYGHWY10 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Hon Co, Cedartown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356506 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.1
Rg Dispersants Usa Llc, Cedartown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene, Formaldehyde, Ammonia, sec-Butyl alcohol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 21,260 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 30125HNKLC701WI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Axillon Aerospace (Rockmart), Inc., Rockmart
Major air pollution source. Penalties $7,073.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356659 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Axillon Aerospace (Rockmart) Inc., Rockmart
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers). 353,336 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 30153LRLNGGOODY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Arclin Dispersants, Cedartown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356481 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.2
Sheboygan Paint Co, Cedartown
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $148,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Axillon Aerospace (Rockmart), Inc., Rockmart
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $7,073.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356659 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Axillon Aerospace (Rockmart), Inc., Rockmart
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,073.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356659 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Hon Co, Cedartown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Xylene (mixed isomers). 161,517 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 30125THHNC907WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Jcg Farms Of Alabama, Llc, Rockmart
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001322774 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
City Of Cedartown, Cedartown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $6,488.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064640508 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Hon Co, Cedartown
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356506 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Sheboygan Paint Co, Cedartown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $148,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Kimoto Tech Inc, Cedartown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene. 1,744 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 30125KMTTC601CA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Kimoto Tech, Incorporated, Cedartown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012621617 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Hon Co, Cedartown
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356506 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Hon Co, Cedartown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356506 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Rockmart, City Of (Rockmart Wpcp), Rockmart
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006644462 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Sheboygan Paint Co, Cedartown
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $148,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Arclin Dispersants, Cedartown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000356481 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Jefferson Southern Corporation, Rockmart
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005720880 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Jefferson Southern Corporation, Rockmart
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005720880 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5

Correctional facilities

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

3128 - Polk Co., Airport Runway Corrections, Cedartown
EPA FRS registry ID
110071953656
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Polk 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 Polk 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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