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Kenton County, Kentucky: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Kenton County is 164 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 792 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (272), Industrial wastewater discharge (192), Rail grade crossing (76). 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: 38.943, -84.5347.

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 Kenton County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	New cases	86.7	51.8	1.67xSignificant	81 to 92.8	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	6.9	4.6	1.5xSignificant	5.3 to 8.8	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.4	3.7	1.46xSignificant	4.1 to 7.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	43.6	30.2	1.44xSignificant	39.6 to 48	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.8	6.2	1.42xSignificant	6.9 to 11	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	6.1	4.4	1.39xSignificant	4.6 to 7.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.7	23.8	1.37xSignificant	29 to 36.7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.3	3.4	1.26x	3.1 to 5.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	10.7	8.7	1.23x	8.7 to 12.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	530	453.4	1.17xSignificant	515.3 to 545.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	164	143.2	1.15xSignificant	156 to 172.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	16.3	14.5	1.12x	13.8 to 19.2	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20	17.9	1.12x	17.3 to 23.1	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.3	6.6	1.11x	5.7 to 9.2	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	19.3	18.7	1.03x	16.6 to 22.4	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.2	4.1	1.02x	2.9 to 5.7	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	16.7	16.4	1.02x	11.1 to 24.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.7	18.5	1.01x	16 to 21.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.5	4.8	0.94x	3.2 to 6.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.7	13.9	0.91x	10.5 to 15.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.1	5.7	0.89x	3.7 to 6.8	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	5.8	6.6	0.88x	4.3 to 7.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	9.6	11.3	0.85x	7.7 to 11.8	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	11	13	0.85x	8.9 to 13.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	1.6	2	0.8x	0.9 to 2.6	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	1.6	2.7	0.59x	0.9 to 2.6	2020-2024

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 Kenton County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,771.1	9,842.6	-11%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.3	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	45.5	59.8	-24%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7.4	6.2	+20%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	97.6	96.9	+1%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	53.2	28.6	+86%	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.

Formaldehyde20.61 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde2.22 per million
Naphthalene1.89 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit272
Industrial wastewater discharge192
Rail grade crossing76
Brownfield property52
Combined sewer overflow outfall52
Gas station (mapped facility)52
Air permit holder (minor source)19
Small hazardous waste generator16
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)13
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
TRI reporting facility9
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)8
Large hazardous waste generator4
Scrapyard (mapped facility)4
Heliport3
Solar power plant3
Public airport2
Major air pollution source1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
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.

Diversey, Florence
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Ethylene oxide, Acetaldehyde, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 11,807 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4104WDVRSY79FUN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.1
Interplastic Corp-Fort Wright, Covington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Phthalic anhydride, Maleic anhydride, Methyl methacrylate and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 69,111 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 41015FLNSL3535L (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Camco Chemical Co, Florence
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $32,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000500002 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.2
Mplx Terminals Llc - Covington Ky Terminal, Covington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Toluene, Benzene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 8,248 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 41015CVNGT230E3 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
A O Smith Corp Protective Coatings Div, Florence
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen fluoride, Zinc compounds, Nickel And Nickel Compounds, Nickel compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,097 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 41042SMTHC8160H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Diversey Inc. - Florence, Florence
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071071625 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Interplastic Corporation, Fort Wright
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001376635 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Esco Group Llc, Covington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 104 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 41017SCCRP3792L (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Iofina Chemical Inc., Covington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methyl iodide, Dimethyl sulfate, 3-Iodo-2-propynyl butylcarbamate. Reports carcinogens. 100 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 41017HSCHM125MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Mplx Terminals Llc - Covington Terminal, Covington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000379572 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Camco Chemical Co. Inc., Florence
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol, Certain glycol ethers. 830 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 41042CMCCH8150H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.2
A O Smith Corp, Florence
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000500020 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Firestone Building Products, Florence
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $4,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110023147085 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Camco Chemical Co, Florence
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $32,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000500002 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Iofina Chemical Inc, Covington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003255888 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.6
Ronan Engineering Co, Florence
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 4104WRNNNG85PRD (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Esco Group Llc - Covington, Covington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000379607 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.6
Camco Chemical Co, Florence
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $32,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000500002 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Erlanger
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039639736 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Stewart Iron Works Llc, Erlanger
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070864991 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Holcim Solutions & Products, Florence
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Diisocyanates. 33 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 41042FRSTN817HL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.2
Ronan Engineering Measurements Division, Florence
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006497497 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Diversey Inc. - Florence, Florence
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071071625 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Northern Ky Sanitation District 1- Dry Creek, Erlanger
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KY0021466:002 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Northern Ky Sanitation District 1- Dry Creek, Erlanger
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KY0021466:030 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4

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 Kenton 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 Kenton 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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