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Ohio County, Kentucky: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Ohio County is 189.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 301 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (145), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (60), Rail grade crossing (28). 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: 37.4741, -86.8747.

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 Ohio County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	New cases	109.4	51.8	2.11xSignificant	93.9 to 127.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	55.3	30.2	1.83xSignificant	44.5 to 68.3	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	29.1	17.9	1.63xSignificant	20.9 to 39.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	189.3	143.2	1.32xSignificant	168.4 to 212.2	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	16.6	13.9	1.19x	10.8 to 24.7	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	533.1	453.4	1.18xSignificant	496.6 to 571.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	17	14.5	1.17x	10.7 to 25.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	21.6	18.7	1.16x	15 to 30.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.3	11.3	1.09x	7.4 to 19.4	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.7	18.5	1.06x	13.2 to 28.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	22.6	23.8	0.95x	15.3 to 32.4	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 Ohio County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,567.1	9,842.6	+18%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.8	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	64.4	59.8	+8%	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	85.6	96.9	-12%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	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 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.94 per million
Acetaldehyde2.31 per million
Benzene0.84 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge145
NPDES wastewater discharge permit60
Rail grade crossing28
Gas station (mapped facility)16
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
Scrapyard (mapped facility)7
Small hazardous waste generator6
TRI reporting facility6
Air permit holder (minor source)4
Major air pollution source3
Landfill (mapped facility)3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Brownfield property2
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Coal power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Big Rivers Electric Corp. Wilson Station, Centertown
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, Vanadium compounds, Barium And Barium Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 10,281,783 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42350WLSNSHWY85 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.9
Big Rivers Electric Corp - Wilson Station, Centertown
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $80,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000717877 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.9
Muhlenberg County Coal Resources Inc., Centertown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Mercury. Reports carcinogens. 106,904 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4232WTHMHL282RI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Perdue Foods Llc - Cromwell Processing Plant, Beaver Dam
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Peracetic acid, Hydrogen sulfide and 2 more. 6,733,465 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42320CRMWL5025H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Perdue Cromwell Processing Plant, Beaver Dam
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000591351 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Kentucky Land Resources Inc, Centertown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Mercury. Reports carcinogens. 1,000 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4232WTHWST175MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Daicel Safety Systems Americas Inc, Beaver Dam
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds, Nickel compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 623 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42320DCLSF72LDL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
N.O.F. - Fordsville, Fordsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers). 45,187 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42343NTNLFHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
D B Wilson, Centertown
Coal power plant.
Record ID 6823 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 6.4
Mchenry Brass Inc, Mc Henry
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000380962 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
N.O.F. Fordsville, Fordsville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000591360 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
The Muhlenberg County Coal Company - Pride Mine, Centertown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070559785 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Big Rivers Electric Corp - Wilson Station, Centertown
Major air pollution source. Penalties $80,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000717877 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Mchenry Brass Inc, Mc Henry
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Lead compounds. 553 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 42354MCHNRNELSO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Big Rivers Electric Corp - Wilson Station, Centertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $80,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000717877 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Ohio Co Landfill, Beaver Dam
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001244662 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ohio Co Landfill, Beaver Dam
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001244662 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Neo Industries Inc, Beaver Dam
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003216788 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ohio County Regional Stp, Beaver Dam
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039706459 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Fordsville Stp, Fordsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006751069 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
N.O.F. Fordsville, Fordsville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000591360 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Ohio Co Landfill, Beaver Dam
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001244662 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Kentucky Land Resources Inc [Consolidated], Centertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $20,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067030670 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Kentucky Land Resources Inc, Centertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $20,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067430337 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Kentucky Tennessee Gas Station, Rosine
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071983967 (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.

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Ohio 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 Ohio 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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