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Washington County, Georgia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Washington County is 187.1 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 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 901 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (636), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (125), Rail grade crossing (88). 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: 32.9971, -82.7989.

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 Washington County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	New cases	19.9	13.9	1.43x	13 to 29.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	42.5	30.2	1.41xSignificant	32.3 to 55.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	15.7	11.3	1.39x	9.7 to 24.4	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	187.1	143.2	1.31xSignificant	164.1 to 212.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	64.2	51.8	1.24x	51.7 to 79.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.2	14.5	1.05x	9.5 to 23.7	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	468.1	453.4	1.03x	431 to 507.8	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.4	17.9	0.92x	10 to 25.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	15.3	23.8	0.64x	9.1 to 24.3	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 Washington County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,307.7	9,842.6	+35%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.7	75.3	-5%	years
Child mortality	84.7	59.8	+42%	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	83.6	96.9	-14%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	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.

Formaldehyde23.24 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.33 per million
Benzene0.69 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 364 days: 221 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 46, peak 82.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge636
NPDES wastewater discharge permit125
Rail grade crossing88
Major air pollution source8
Air permit holder (minor source)8
Gas station (mapped facility)8
Large greenhouse gas emitter6
Small hazardous waste generator3
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Large hazardous waste generator2
Gas power plant2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Brownfield property1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Heliport1
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.

Thiele Kaolin Company Deepstep Road Plant, Sandersville
Major air pollution source. Penalties $82,385.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010039092 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Trojan Battery Co - Sandersville, Sandersville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Antimony and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,331 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31082TRJNB312GE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Burgess Pigment Co, Sandersville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 75,765 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31082BRGSS525BE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Thiele Kaolin Company Deepstep Road Plant, Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $82,385.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010039092 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Sandersville, Sandersville
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 133030001 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 6.2
Ari Railcar Services, Llc, Tennille
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005715538 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Thiele Kaolin Company Deepstep Road Plant, Sandersville
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $82,385.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010039092 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Burgess Pigment Company, Sandersville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000360010 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Trojan Battery Co - Sandersville, Sandersville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031441606 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Bulk Chemical Services Llc., Sandersville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acrylic acid, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Dazomet, Ammonia. 2,500 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31082CHMCLINDUS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Kent-Tenn Clay (Plt 53), Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007088613 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Brite Co A & I Chemicals Inc, Sandersville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007088668 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Kent-Tenn Clay (Plt 53), Sandersville
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007088613 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Thiele Kaolin Company Deepstep Road Plant, Sandersville
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $82,385.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010039092 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Ari Railcar Services, Llc, Tennille
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005715538 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Prentiss, Inc., Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044228494 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Beasley Forest Products, Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058209166 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Southeastern Performance Minerals, Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070019800 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Sanjab Recycling Llc, Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070026246 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Hazlehurst Airport Borrow Pit, Hazlesurst
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070031340 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Dura - Line, Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070046128 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Universal Scrap & Recycling, Llc Of Sandersville, Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070742430 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Sandersville, City Of (Sandersville Wpcp), Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,050.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006644532 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Howard Sheppard Inc., Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013413047 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Thiele Kaolin Sandersville, Sandersville
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067893257 (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.

Gba 198 Washington State Prison, Davisboro
EPA FRS registry ID
110071670887
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Washington 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 Washington 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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