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Perry County, Kentucky: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Perry County is 246.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 2.5 times the U.S. rate and Bladder deaths at 2.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 811 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (574), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (103), Rail grade crossing (98). 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: 37.2177, -83.1718.

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 Perry County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	76.7	30.2	2.54xSignificant	64.6 to 90.7	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	9.9	4.1	2.41xSignificant	5.6 to 16.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	116.7	51.8	2.25xSignificant	101.7 to 133.4	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	12.2	6.6	1.85xSignificant	7.7 to 18.7	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	246.5	143.2	1.72xSignificant	223.5 to 271.5	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	26.1	18.7	1.4xSignificant	18.8 to 35.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	18	13	1.38x	11.6 to 26.6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	12	8.7	1.38x	7.7 to 18.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	564.6	453.4	1.25xSignificant	529.2 to 601.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	13.2	11.3	1.17x	8.1 to 20.5	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.9	17.9	1.11x	13.6 to 28.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.5	13.9	0.97x	8.3 to 20.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	21.4	23.8	0.9x	14.7 to 30.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.9	18.5	0.86x	10.3 to 23.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	11.7	14.5	0.81x	6.9 to 18.8	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 Perry County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	21,360.1	9,842.6	+117%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	65.7	75.3	-13%	years
Child mortality	94	59.8	+57%	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	168.9	96.9	+74%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	94.1	28.6	+229%	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.

Formaldehyde17.86 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.86 per million
Acetaldehyde1.82 per million
Benzene1.04 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 318 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 36, peak 172.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge574
NPDES wastewater discharge permit103
Rail grade crossing98
Brownfield property17
Gas station (mapped facility)9
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Small hazardous waste generator2
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
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.

Dixie Recycling, Hazard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $12,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045512183 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Blue Diamond Mining Llc [Consolidated], Slemp
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064776434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Icg Hazard Llc Consolidated, Dice
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $50,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070830764 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
HAZARD, Hazard
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 211930003 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.2
Whitaker Coal Corp (897-5121 & 897-8035), Hazard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008368845 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Whitaker Coal Corp (897-0427), Hazard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010838638 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Icg Knott County Llc (897-5129), Hazard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011198088 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Pine Branch Mining Llc [Consolidated], Manuel
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064511782 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Locust Grove Inc (897-0520), Jeff
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064511871 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Liberty Management Llc - Preparation Plant & Washer, Ary
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009965877 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Viper Elementary School - Viper Elem School Wtp, Viper
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110032815498 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Whitaker Coal Corp (897-5127), Viper
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044889449 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Pine Branch Mining Llc, Krypton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110066907994 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Vg Combs Trailer Park, Chavies
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009010426 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Whitaker Coal Corp (897-0428), Fourseam
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011200388 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Knott Co Coal Llc [897-8067], Bonnyman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011210741 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Whitaker Coal Corp (897-0426), Hazard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011216558 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Hazard, City Of, Hazard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039994959 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Wrights Recycling, Hazard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045062383 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
J.I.L. Office Supply, Hazard
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045012204 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Grand Hotel-Hazard, Hazard
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071972057 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Vacant Lot Near Grand Hotel, Hazard
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973078 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Combs Hardware Building, Hazard
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973427 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Jarnigan Place, Hazard
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071974055 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Mountain Dairy Products, Hazard
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071974063 (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 Perry 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 Perry 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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