GA / county FIPS 13275 / county research

Thomas County, Georgia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Thomas County is 157.8 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 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 639 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (308), Rail grade crossing (113), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (98). 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: 30.8688, -83.9072.

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 Thomas County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	6	3.4	1.76x	3.4 to 9.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	68.3	51.8	1.32xSignificant	59.5 to 78.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	17.6	13.9	1.27x	13.1 to 23.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	37	30.2	1.23xSignificant	30.7 to 44.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	13.8	11.3	1.22x	10 to 18.7	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	7.4	6.6	1.12x	4.6 to 11.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	26.4	23.8	1.11x	20.5 to 33.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	157.8	143.2	1.1xSignificant	143.9 to 172.7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.8	6.2	1.1x	4 to 10.9	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.6	17.9	1.09x	14.5 to 25.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	484.4	453.4	1.07xSignificant	459 to 510.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.2	18.5	0.98x	13.6 to 24.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.6	5.7	0.98x	3.3 to 9.2	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.9	14.5	0.96x	9.8 to 19.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.6	18.7	0.89x	12.4 to 22	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.5	8.7	0.86x	4.8 to 11.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	4.6	6.6	0.7x	2.6 to 7.7	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	6.7	13	0.52x	3.7 to 11.1	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 Thomas County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,172.8	9,842.6	+24%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.8	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	72.9	59.8	+22%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.2	6.2	+32%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	78.8	96.9	-19%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	14.7	28.6	-48%	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.

Formaldehyde23.82 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.53 per million
Pahpom1.13 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge308
Rail grade crossing113
NPDES wastewater discharge permit98
Gas station (mapped facility)43
Air permit holder (minor source)24
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)24
Small hazardous waste generator6
Major air pollution source5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Scrapyard (mapped facility)4
TRI reporting facility3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Commercial airport1
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.

Centek Industries Inc., Thomasville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 16,413 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31792VRNYP216OA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Oil-Dri North And South Plant, Ochlocknee
Major air pollution source. Penalties $20,129.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041083289 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Waverly Minerals, Inc., Meigs
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110021281058 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Evoqua Water Technologies Llc, Thomasville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel, Manganese. Reports carcinogens. 219 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31792SFLTR1828M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Oil-Dri North And South Plant, Ochlocknee
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $20,129.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041083289 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Waverly Minerals, Inc., Meigs
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110021281058 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Hood Industries Inc., Metcalf
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. Reports carcinogens. 72 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31792MTCLFGEORG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Cleaver Brooks, Thomasville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Propylene. 5,281 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31792CLVRB221LA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Centek Inds Inc, Thomasville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000361233 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Cleaver Brooks, Thomasville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000361180 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Balfour Lumber Company, Thomasville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005690680 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
City Of Thomasville, Georgia Wwtf Renovations, Thomasville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064618640 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Siemens Industry Inc - Water Technologies Business Unit, Thomasville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000361215 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Hood Industries, Inc., Metcalf
Major air pollution source. Penalties $1,409.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007485364 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Balfour Lumber Company, Thomasville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005690680 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Turbine Engine Components Technologies (Tect) Corporation -Thomasville, Thomasville
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001423790 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Turbine Engine Components Technologies (Tect) Corporation -Thomasville, Thomasville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001423790 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Hood Industries, Inc., Metcalf
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,409.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007485364 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Meigs, City Of (Meigs Wpcp), Meigs
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010038789 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ochlocknee, Town Of (Ochlocknee Wpcp), Ochlocknee
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010039118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
W.L. Smith Mine, Ochlocknee
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070009710 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Oil-Dri Barlow Mine Smlup 1322-01, Ochlocknee
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070014760 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Cives Steel Co - Southern Div, Thomasville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 31792CVSSTPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Argos Usa - Thomasville Ready Mix Plant, Thomasville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070016464 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Turbine Engine Components Technologies (Tect) Corporation -Thomasville, Thomasville
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110001423790 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4

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 Thomas 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 Thomas 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 Thomas County View on the heat map All Georgia counties