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Spencer County, Indiana: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Spencer County is 154.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 309 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (117), Rail grade crossing (80), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (67). 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: 37.9934, -87.0128.

How this county ranks in Indiana

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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 Spencer County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	29.6	17.9	1.65xSignificant	20.1 to 42.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	65.3	51.8	1.26xSignificant	53.2 to 79.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	35.9	30.2	1.19x	27.1 to 47.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	21.4	18.5	1.16x	14.4 to 31.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	154.9	143.2	1.08x	134.6 to 177.7	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	20.2	18.7	1.08x	13.4 to 29.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	481.2	453.4	1.06x	443.9 to 521.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.7	11.3	1.04x	6.6 to 19.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.9	13.9	0.93x	7.7 to 20.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	18.4	23.8	0.77x	11.3 to 28.3	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 Spencer County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,001	9,842.6	-9%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.3	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	58	59.8	-3%	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	76.5	96.9	-21%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	16.7	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.

Formaldehyde21.35 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde2.18 per million
Pahpom1.09 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 246 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 39, peak 88.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge117
Rail grade crossing80
NPDES wastewater discharge permit67
Air permit holder (minor source)7
Brownfield property5
Gas station (mapped facility)5
TRI reporting facility4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
Major air pollution source3
Hazardous waste transporter3
EPA air quality monitor2
Combined sewer overflow outfall2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Solar power plant2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Coal 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.

Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corp (Rockport Works ), Rockport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Sodium nitrite, Ammonia, Chromium and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 52,173,753 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 47635KSTLC6500N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Rockport Plant, Rockport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Hydrogen fluoride, Manganese compounds, Vanadium compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 6,042,818 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 47635RCKPR2791N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.7
Indiana Michigan Power Dba Aep Rockpo, Rockport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000747924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Rockport, Rockport
Coal power plant.
Record ID 6166 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 8
Ak Steel Rockport Works, Rockport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000592788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Pvs Technologies Inc, Grandview
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Lead compounds. 22,256 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 47615MRCNR2001E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Pvs Steel Services Inc, Grandview
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006010707 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Corn Island Shipyard Inc., Grandview
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese. 2,658 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4755WCRNSLP125X (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Rockport South Wwtp, Rockport
Combined sewer overflow outfall. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit IN0021067: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 5.6
Dale- N. Wallace St., Dale
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 181470011 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.3
Corn Island Shipyard, Grandview
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040494621 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Indiana Michigan Power Dba Aep Rockpo, Rockport
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000747924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Indiana Michigan Power Dba Aep Rockpo, Rockport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000747924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Dale- David Turnham School, Dale
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 181470009 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.7
Santa Claus Wastewater Treatment Plant, Santa Claus
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039903398 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ak Steel Rockport Works, Rockport
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000592788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Rockport South Wwtp, Rockport
Combined sewer overflow outfall. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit IN0021067:002 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Ak Steel Rockport Works, Rockport
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000592788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Ak Steel Rockport Works, Rockport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000592788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
National Office Furniture Distribution C, Santa Claus
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041397280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Ak Steel Rockport Works, Rockport
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000592788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Indiana Michigan Power Dba Aep Rockpo, Rockport
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000747924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
United Energy, Evanston
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044763592 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
United Energy, Evanston
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058715047 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Richland Supermarket, Richland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063851372 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3

Correctional facilities

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

In Dot Des. 2000131: Sr 66 Slide Correction, Gandview
EPA FRS registry ID
110071921437
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Spencer County

Indiana 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 Spencer County, and their findings.
Indiana vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Indiana health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Indiana 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.
Indiana 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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