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Henderson County, Kentucky: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Henderson County is 187.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 462 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (163), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (112), Rail grade crossing (74). 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: 37.8078, -87.5777.

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 Henderson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	6.2	3.4	1.82xSignificant	3.7 to 10.1	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	7.6	4.6	1.65xSignificant	4.7 to 11.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	47.2	30.2	1.56xSignificant	39.9 to 55.5	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	5.5	3.7	1.49x	3.1 to 9.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	26.3	17.9	1.47xSignificant	20.5 to 33.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	72.7	51.8	1.4xSignificant	63.7 to 82.9	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	6.1	4.4	1.39x	3.6 to 9.9	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	25.1	18.7	1.34xSignificant	19.6 to 31.9	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	187.5	143.2	1.31xSignificant	172 to 204.2	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	18.1	13.9	1.3x	13.5 to 23.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.7	4.8	1.19x	3.3 to 9.3	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	10.3	8.7	1.18x	7 to 14.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.8	6.6	1.18x	4.9 to 12	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	13	11.3	1.15x	9.2 to 18	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	483.9	453.4	1.07xSignificant	458.3 to 510.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	21.5	23.8	0.9x	16.2 to 28	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	10.2	14.5	0.7x	6.6 to 15.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	12.4	18.5	0.67x	8.7 to 17.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	8.6	13	0.66x	5.2 to 13.3	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 Henderson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,101.4	9,842.6	+13%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.3	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	74.9	59.8	+25%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.3	6.2	+34%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	84	96.9	-13%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	23.3	28.6	-19%	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.

Formaldehyde21.51 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde2.19 per million
Pahpom1.15 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge163
NPDES wastewater discharge permit112
Rail grade crossing74
Gas station (mapped facility)23
Combined sewer overflow outfall18
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)14
Air permit holder (minor source)11
TRI reporting facility11
Small hazardous waste generator8
Major air pollution source7
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Large hazardous waste generator4
Brownfield property3
Hazardous waste transporter2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

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

Century Aluminum Sebree Llc, Robards
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038162118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Century Aluminum Sebree Llc, Robards
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Carbonyl sulfide, Hydrogen fluoride, Naphthalene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,761,140 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42420LCNNGKENTU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.4
Big Rivers Electric Corp Reid/Green/Hmp&L Station Ii, Robards
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Zinc compounds, Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Vanadium compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,578,265 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42452RDGRN9000H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Audubon Metals Llc, Henderson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Copper, Manganese, Lead compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 47,964 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42420DBNMT3055O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Brenntag Mid-South Inc., Henderson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Methanol, Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 37,232 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42420PBSCH1405H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Gibbs Die Casting Aluminum, Henderson
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001306042 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Century Aluminum Sebree Llc, Robards
Major air pollution source. Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038162118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Hydro Aluminum Metals Usa Llc, Henderson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Manganese, Lead, Copper and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 4,187 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42420HYDRL5801R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Century Aluminum Sebree Llc, Robards
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038162118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Century Aluminum Sebree Llc, Robards
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038162118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Brenntag Mid-South Inc, Henderson
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $332,744.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056962274 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Eastern Alloys Of Kentucky, Henderson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Zinc (fume or dust), Copper, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 617 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42420STRNL5800R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Century Aluminum Sebree Llc, Robards
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038162118 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Tyson Chicken Inc. Processing & Rendering, Robards
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Peracetic acid. 20,453 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42452HDSNF14660 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Amg Aluminum N.A. Llc, Robards
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Chromium, Lead, Manganese. Reports carcinogens. 107 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42452KBLLYMCDON (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Henderson Stp, Henderson
Combined sewer overflow outfall. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KY0020711: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 6
Pratt Paper (Ky) Llc/ Pratt (Henderson Corrugating) Llc, Henderson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Lead And Lead Compounds, Mercury And Mercury Compounds. 6,695 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4242WPRTTP633KY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Audubon Metals Llc, Henderson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000380999 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Gibbs Die Casting Corp, Henderson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Manganese, Lead, Nickel and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 45 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42420GBBSDUS60W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Pratt Paper (Ky) Llc/ Pratt (Henderson Corrugating) Llc, Henderson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071344638 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Tyson Chicken Inc. Robards, Ky., Robards
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000591413 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Hydro Aluminum Metals Usa Llc, Henderson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000766449 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Eastern Alloys Of Ky, Henderson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006752610 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Gibbs Die Casting Aluminum, Henderson
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001306042 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Gibbs Die Casting Aluminum, Henderson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001306042 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8

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 Henderson 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 Henderson 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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