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Cape Girardeau County, Missouri: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Cape Girardeau County is 145.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 695 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (372), Rail grade crossing (86), Air permit holder (minor source) (71). One correctional facility operates in the county. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 50 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: 37.3647, -89.6443.

How this county ranks in Missouri

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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 Cape Girardeau County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.7	4.4	1.3x	3.7 to 8.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	7.3	5.7	1.28x	5.1 to 10.1	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.1	3.4	1.21x	2.6 to 6.2	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	22.4	18.7	1.2x	18.5 to 27	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.8	17.9	1.11x	15.8 to 24.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.2	4.8	1.08x	3.5 to 7.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	15.6	14.5	1.08x	12.1 to 19.7	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.9	4.6	1.07x	3.1 to 7.4	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.5	6.2	1.05x	4.3 to 9.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.7	11.3	1.04x	8.9 to 15.1	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	464.8	453.4	1.03x	445.5 to 484.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	30.9	30.2	1.02x	26.3 to 36.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	52.8	51.8	1.02x	46.7 to 59.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.8	18.5	1.02x	15.1 to 23.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	145.4	143.2	1.02x	135.1 to 156.2	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	22.6	23.8	0.95x	18.4 to 27.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	3.4	3.7	0.92x	2 to 5.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12	13.9	0.86x	9.2 to 15.5	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	3.5	4.1	0.85x	2.2 to 5.5	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	5.6	6.6	0.85x	3.7 to 8.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.2	13	0.78x	7.3 to 13.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	4.8	6.6	0.73x	3.1 to 7.1	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.2	8.7	0.71x	4.2 to 8.8	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 Cape Girardeau County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,898.1	9,842.6	-10%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.8	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	66.5	59.8	+11%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.7	6.2	+8%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	76.8	96.9	-21%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	15.5	28.6	-46%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 50 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde21.62 per million
Ethylene Oxide19.43 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.95 per million
Acetaldehyde2.15 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit372
Rail grade crossing86
Air permit holder (minor source)71
Industrial wastewater discharge64
Small hazardous waste generator28
Gas station (mapped facility)14
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)13
TRI reporting facility12
Major air pollution source8
Large hazardous waste generator5
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Brownfield property3
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Hazardous waste transporter3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Heliport2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Oil-fired power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

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

Missouri Electric Works, Cape Girardeau
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 31.2. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MOD980965982 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Buzzi Unicem Usa-Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Ammonia, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Barium And Barium Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 779,610 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63701LNSTR2524S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Biokyowa Inc, Cape Girardeau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Nickel, Copper and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,045,287 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63701BKYWN975NA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.5
Mondi Jackson Llc., Jackson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, Copper compounds, Diisocyanates, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 86,419 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63702MWPCK14591 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Buzzi Unicem Usa Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000442423 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.9
Biokyowa, Inc., Cape Girardeau
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018003649 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Midwest Sterilization Corp, Jackson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene oxide, Ethylene glycol. Reports carcinogens. 1,991 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63755MDWST124LE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Mid South Steel Products, Cape Girardeau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1,793 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6370WMDSTH271CR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Greenbrier Central Llc, Jackson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 793 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63755CFNDS1305L (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Qc Corp, Cape Girardeau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds, Copper compounds and 2 more. 25,179 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6370WQCCRP5566N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Nlc Inc, Jackson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 251 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63755LNCNC319WM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Mondi Jackson Indian Creek, Jackson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596052 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Leggett & Platt Inc, Cape Girardeau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Thiram, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens. 156 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63701RCTCL450NA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Semo Ready Mix Inc-Cape Girardeau, Jackson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006736149 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Safety-Kleen Systems Inc, Cape Girardeau
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006736648 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Lenco, Nlc Inc., Jackson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002127261 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Safety-Kleen Systems Cape Girardeau (Cap), Cape Girardeau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Lead, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens. 47 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63701SFTYK201LA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Verdesian Life Sciences Llc, Cape Girardeau
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006732928 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Jackson Wwtp, Jackson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000760187 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co, Jackson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Mercury, Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. Reports carcinogens. 23 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63702PRCTRPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Spartech, Cape Girardeau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methyl methacrylate, Ethyl acrylate. Reports carcinogens. 20 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 63701SPRTCONEAT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Mid-South Products Inc Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015853815 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co, Jackson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011087876 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Foamex L P -Foamex L P, Cape Girardeau
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009878757 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Midwest Sterilization Corp-Jackson, Jackson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010307373 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Cape Girardeau County Jail, Jackson
EPA FRS registry ID
110071409308
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Cape Girardeau County

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