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Daviess County, Kentucky: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Daviess County is 181.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Bladder deaths at 2 times the U.S. rate and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 629 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (192), Industrial wastewater discharge (183), Rail grade crossing (85). 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: 37.7462, -87.0685.

How this county ranks in Kentucky

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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 Daviess County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	Deaths	8.1	4.1	1.98xSignificant	6.1 to 10.7	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	41.8	23.8	1.76xSignificant	36.6 to 47.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	8.2	4.8	1.71xSignificant	6.1 to 10.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	86.6	51.8	1.67xSignificant	79.6 to 94	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	29.8	17.9	1.66xSignificant	25.4 to 34.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	45.6	30.2	1.51xSignificant	40.7 to 51.1	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	8.5	5.7	1.49xSignificant	6.4 to 11.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.9	3.4	1.44x	3.4 to 7	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	6.1	4.6	1.33x	4.4 to 8.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	181.2	143.2	1.27xSignificant	171 to 191.9	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	23.4	18.7	1.25xSignificant	19.8 to 27.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	522.5	453.4	1.15xSignificant	504.5 to 541	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	7.5	6.6	1.14x	5.5 to 10.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4.2	3.7	1.14x	2.8 to 6.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	20.1	18.5	1.09x	16.7 to 24	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.8	13.9	1.06x	12 to 18.1	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7	6.6	1.06x	5.1 to 9.4	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.5	6.2	1.05x	4.5 to 9.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	13.4	13	1.03x	10.3 to 17	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.3	4.4	0.98x	2.9 to 6.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	10.5	11.3	0.93x	8.2 to 13.3	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	15.2	16.4	0.93x	8.7 to 24.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.6	8.7	0.87x	5.7 to 10	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	12.2	14.5	0.84x	9.6 to 15.2	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 Daviess County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,962	9,842.6	+1%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74.9	75.3	-0%	years
Child mortality	55	59.8	-8%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.2	6.2	-0%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	81.8	96.9	-16%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	23.4	28.6	-18%	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.

Formaldehyde22.2 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde2.31 per million
Benzene1.11 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 226 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 43, peak 84.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit192
Industrial wastewater discharge183
Rail grade crossing85
Gas station (mapped facility)39
Brownfield property22
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)17
Air permit holder (minor source)15
TRI reporting facility15
Small hazardous waste generator13
Combined sewer overflow outfall11
Major air pollution source7
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
Large hazardous waste generator7
Hazardous waste transporter3
Public airport2
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Green River Disposal, Inc., Maceo
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 29.1. NPL Site.
EPA site ID KYD980501076 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Dart Polymers Inc, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Ethylbenzene, Zinc compounds, Benzoyl peroxide. Reports carcinogens. 265,758 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42301DRTPL2400H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Valor Llc, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Methanol, n-Hexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 56,981 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4230WVLRLL12ALS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Owensboro Specialty Polymers Inc, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Vinylidene chloride, Acrylonitrile, Methyl acrylate, Methyl methacrylate and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 54,059 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42303HMPSH5529U (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Modern Welding Co Of Owensboro Inc, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 30,555 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42303MDRNW1450E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Hines Precision Inc., Philpot
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Tetrachloroethylene, Nickel, Chromium, Manganese and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 18,332 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42366PRMML5680O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Kimberly-Clark Corp Owensboro Operations, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). 1,595,151 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42301KMBRL601IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Daramic Llc, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Cyclohexane. 1,538,188 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42303WRGRC5525U (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Daramic Llc, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000745677 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
Owensboro Grain Co Llc, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 1,116,657 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42302WNSBR719EA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Dart Polymers Inc, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000380793 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.2
Owensboro Grain Biodiesel Llc, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 113,534 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42302WNSBR1145E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Owensboro Municipal Utilities Elmer Smith Station, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrogen fluoride, Zinc compounds and 3 more. 111,793 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42303LMRSM4301U (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Owensboro Grain Co, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043815495 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000380837 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Hines Precisions Inc, Philpot
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000380971 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.7
Toyotetsu Mid America, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Aluminum (fume or dust), Chromium and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 475 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42301TYTTS31AIR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Owensboro Grain Biodiesel Llc Biodiesel Plant, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000757501 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Hunter Douglas, Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds. 12,051 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42303HNTRD16RAG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Owensboro Specialty Polymers, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000747835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Rwra Max Rhoads Wwtp, Owensboro
Combined sewer overflow outfall. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KY0020095: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 6
Modern Welding Co Of Owensboro Inc, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000380873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Valor Llc - Valor Oil Alsop Ln, Owensboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070238790 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Meadow Lands (Owensboro)
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 210590015 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.7
Metalsa Structural Products Inc., Owensboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds. 2,926 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42301DNCRP4010A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7

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 Daviess County

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