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Wayne County, Georgia: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Wayne County is 209.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Leukemia deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 235 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (89), Rail grade crossing (67), Industrial wastewater discharge (26). 2 correctional facilities operate 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: 31.5784, -81.9152.

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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 Wayne County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	Deaths	11.1	5.7	1.95xSignificant	6.6 to 17.6	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	8.7	4.6	1.89xSignificant	4.9 to 14.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	50.9	30.2	1.69xSignificant	41.1 to 62.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	17.6	11.3	1.56xSignificant	11.9 to 25	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	80.3	51.8	1.55xSignificant	67.9 to 94.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	21.7	14.5	1.5xSignificant	15.1 to 30.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	20.4	13.9	1.47xSignificant	14.3 to 28.2	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	209.3	143.2	1.46xSignificant	188.6 to 231.7	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	24.6	18.7	1.32x	17.8 to 33.3	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	28.4	23.8	1.19x	20.9 to 37.8	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	537.6	453.4	1.19xSignificant	503.9 to 573	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.1	17.9	1.18x	14.9 to 29.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.1	8.7	1.05x	5.2 to 14.8	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	11.7	13	0.9x	6.9 to 18.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.7	18.5	0.85x	10.5 to 22.7	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 Wayne County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,793.5	9,842.6	+40%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	70.7	75.3	-6%	years
Child mortality	66.2	59.8	+11%	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	92.7	96.9	-4%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	30.7	28.6	+7%	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.

Formaldehyde20.54 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.16 per million
Pahpom0.63 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit89
Rail grade crossing67
Industrial wastewater discharge26
Gas station (mapped facility)18
Air permit holder (minor source)9
TRI reporting facility4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
Major air pollution source3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Small hazardous waste generator3
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1
Solar power plant1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)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.

Rayonier Performance Fibers Jesup Mill, Jesup
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Hydrogen sulfide, Ammonia, Chlorine dioxide and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 21,810,582 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31545TTRYNSAVAN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Healthy Pet, Jesup
Major air pollution source. Penalties $14,100.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018862970 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Federal Correctional Institution Jesup, Jesup
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 3,785 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 31599FDRLC26HWY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Rayonier Performance Fibers Llc, Jesup
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017412968 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Healthy Pet, Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $14,100.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018862970 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Chemours - Jesup Mine, Jesup
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. 19,177 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3154WCHMRSPWERL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Chemours - Jesup Mine, Jesup
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071044824 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Great Southern Wood Preserving Inc, Jesup
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031002457 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Federal Correctional Inst, Jesup
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006160974 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Groendyke Transport Jesup Terminal, Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005675992 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Mobile Concrete, Inc. - Jesup Plant, Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057876865 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Killingsworth Road Borrow Pit, Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070026999 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
The Chemours Co. Tt, Llc (Amelia A & B Mine), Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070891347 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Great Southern Wood - Jesup Inc., Jesup
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Arsenic And Arsenic Compounds, Arsenic compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) and 2 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 31545GRTST1GREA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Georgia Department Of Corrections (Wayne County State Prison Wpcp), Odum
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110070045968 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Broadhurst Environmental Landfill, Screven
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001427304 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Rayonier Performance Fibers Llc, Jesup
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017412968 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Jesup, City Of (Jesup Wpcp), Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039873875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Great Southern Wood Preserving Inc, Jesup
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031002457 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Great Southern Wood Preserving Inc, Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031002457 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Rayonier Performance Fibers, Llc, Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072214818 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Broadhurst Environmental Landfill, Screven
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001427304 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Rayonier Performance Fibers Llc, Jesup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017412968 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Great Southern Wood Preserving Inc, Jesup
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110031002457 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Jesup Plant, Jesup
Biomass power plant.
Record ID 10560 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 2.6

Correctional facilities

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

Georgia Department Of Corrections (Wayne County State Prison Wpcp), Odum
EPA FRS registry ID
110070045968
Wastewater permit
Yes, significant noncompliance, 3 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report
Federal Correctional Inst, Jesup
EPA FRS registry ID
110006160974
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Wayne 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 Wayne 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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