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St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in St. Bernard Parish is 167.3 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 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 464 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (171), Industrial wastewater discharge (115), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (78). 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: 29.8557, -89.6078.

How this county ranks in Louisiana

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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 St. Bernard Parish compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	New cases	17.4	8.7	2xSignificant	12.6 to 23.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	7.2	4.6	1.57x	4.1 to 11.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	45.7	30.2	1.51xSignificant	37.1 to 55.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24.2	17.9	1.35xSignificant	18 to 31.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	8.7	6.6	1.32x	5.4 to 13.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	67.9	51.8	1.31xSignificant	57.2 to 80	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	8.4	6.6	1.27x	5 to 13.4	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	23.8	18.7	1.27x	17.4 to 31.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	167.3	143.2	1.17xSignificant	150.6 to 185.4	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	7	6.2	1.13x	3.9 to 11.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	500.1	453.4	1.1xSignificant	470.8 to 530.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.5	11.3	1.02x	7.5 to 16.8	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	14	13.9	1.01x	9.6 to 19.9	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	12.3	13	0.95x	8.1 to 17.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.7	18.5	0.79x	10 to 20.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	10.3	14.5	0.71x	6.6 to 15.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	12.8	23.8	0.54x	8.5 to 18.7	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 St. Bernard Parish
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,012.8	9,842.6	+32%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.2	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	69.6	59.8	+16%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7	6.2	+12%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	136.7	96.9	+41%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	88	28.6	+208%	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.

Formaldehyde20.2 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde1.3 per million
Ethylene Oxide1.19 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 266 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 44, peak 93.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing171
Industrial wastewater discharge115
NPDES wastewater discharge permit78
Air permit holder (minor source)21
Small hazardous waste generator15
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Hazardous waste transporter10
Large hazardous waste generator8
Major air pollution source7
Brownfield property7
Large greenhouse gas emitter5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
TRI reporting facility4
EPA air quality monitor2
Other power plant2
Heliport1
Gas power plant1
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.

Chalmette Refining Llc, Chalmette
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen cyanide, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,596,593 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 70143TNNCL500WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.4
Chalmette Refining, Chalmette
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $260,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045634774 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.8
Valero Refining - Meraux Llc Meraux Refinery, Meraux
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, n-Hexane, Toluene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 421,608 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 70075MRPHY2500E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.8
Rain Cii Carbon Llc, Chalmette
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Vanadium compounds, Nickel And Nickel Compounds, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 91,010 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 70043CHLMT7CKEP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Valero Partners Llc, Meraux
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Toluene, Benzene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 31,307 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7007WVLRPR25EST (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Energy Transfer Geismar Olefins Llc - Chalmette Gas Processi, Chalmette
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene, Benzene. Reports carcinogens. 17,391 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7004WLNSTR171PA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Meraux Refinery, Meraux
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $75,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000448837 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
American Sugar Refining Inc - Chalmette Cane Sugar Refinery, Arabi
Major air pollution source. Penalties $43,795.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009575762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Energy Transfer Geismar Olefins Llc - Chalmette Gas Processing Plant, Chalmette
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $19,288.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017883851 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.2
American Sugar Refining Inc - Chalmette Cane Sugar Refinery, Arabi
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $43,795.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009575762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
American Sugar Refining Inc - Chalmette Cane Sugar Refinery, Arabi
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $43,795.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009575762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
American Sugar Refining Inc - Chalmette Cane Sugar Refinery, Arabi
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $43,795.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009575762 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Rain Cii Carbon Llc - Chalmette Calcining Plant, Chalmette
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $35,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012818497 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Chalmette Refining, Chalmette
Major air pollution source. Penalties $260,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045634774 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Chalmette Refining, Chalmette
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $260,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045634774 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Chalmette Refining, Chalmette
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $260,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045634774 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Chalmette Vista, Chalmette
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 220870007 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.1
Meraux Refinery, Meraux
Major air pollution source. Penalties $75,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000448837 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Chalmette Refining, Chalmette
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $260,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045634774 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Rain Cii Carbon Llc - Chalmette Calcining Plant, Chalmette
Major air pollution source. Penalties $35,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012818497 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Energy Transfer Geismar Olefins Llc - Chalmette Gas Processing Plant, Chalmette
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $19,288.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017883851 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Meraux Refinery, Meraux
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $75,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000448837 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Meraux Refinery, Meraux
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $75,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000448837 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Riverbend Oxidation Pond - Poydras-Verret Wetland, Chalmette
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011157764 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Hopedale Marina Llc, Saint Bernard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070113304 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3

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 St. Bernard Parish

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