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Clay County, Missouri: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Clay County is 148.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Non-Hodgkin lymphoma deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 1,093 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (423), Air permit holder (minor source) (133), Rail grade crossing (112). 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: 39.2822, -94.4063.

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 Clay County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	23.4	17.9	1.31xSignificant	21 to 26.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	66.1	51.8	1.28xSignificant	62 to 70.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.1	4.8	1.27xSignificant	4.9 to 7.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	37.2	30.2	1.23xSignificant	34.1 to 40.4	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	17	14.5	1.17xSignificant	14.9 to 19.3	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.3	2	1.15x	1.6 to 3.3	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.3	6.6	1.11x	6 to 8.9	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	20.6	18.7	1.1x	18.3 to 23.1	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.4	4.1	1.07x	3.4 to 5.7	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.3	18.5	1.04x	17.1 to 21.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	148.9	143.2	1.04x	142.7 to 155.4	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	471.4	453.4	1.04xSignificant	460.2 to 482.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.4	13.9	1.04x	12.5 to 16.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.9	5.7	1.04x	4.7 to 7.3	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.5	4.4	1.02x	3.5 to 5.8	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.5	8.7	0.98x	7.1 to 10.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	12.6	13	0.97x	10.7 to 14.7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.2	3.4	0.94x	2.4 to 4.3	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	4.3	4.6	0.93x	3.3 to 5.5	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.7	6.2	0.92x	4.5 to 7.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.2	11.3	0.9x	8.6 to 12	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	5.9	6.6	0.89x	4.7 to 7.3	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	2.9	3.7	0.78x	2.1 to 3.9	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	18.3	23.8	0.77x	16.1 to 20.7	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	2	2.7	0.74x	1.3 to 2.9	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	11.6	16.4	0.71x	7.8 to 16.7	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 Clay County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,072.8	9,842.6	-28%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78	75.3	+4%	years
Child mortality	44.5	59.8	-26%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5	6.2	-19%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	77	96.9	-21%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	21	28.6	-27%	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.

Formaldehyde20.98 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million
Ethylene Oxide2.35 per million
Naphthalene2.12 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 363 days: 270 good, 7 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 42, peak 156.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,093 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit423
Air permit holder (minor source)133
Rail grade crossing112
Industrial wastewater discharge97
Gas station (mapped facility)91
Small hazardous waste generator57
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)53
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)26
TRI reporting facility20
Large hazardous waste generator16
Brownfield property14
Scrapyard (mapped facility)11
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)8
Hazardous waste transporter6
Public airport4
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)4
Major air pollution source3
EPA air quality monitor3
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Commercial airport2
Heliport2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
Superfund (NPL) site2
Combined sewer overflow outfall1

Highest-severity records

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

Armour Road, North Kansas City
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MOD046750253 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Lee Chemical, Liberty
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 46.8. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MOD980853519 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Ford Motor Company--Kansas City Assembly Plant, Claycomo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, n-Butyl alcohol, Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,266,644 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64119FRDMTHWY69 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.7
Ford Motor Company--Kansas City Assembly Plant, Claycomo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017435783 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.8
Tnemec Co Inc, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Methyl isobutyl ketone, Diisocyanates, Ethylbenzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 78,994 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116TNMCC123WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Tnemec Company Inc North Kansas City, North Kansas City
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $43,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000443155 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.2
Ingredion Inc, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene oxide. Reports carcinogens. 56,000 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116NTNLS1001B (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Davis Paint Co, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Ethylene glycol. Reports carcinogens. 5,529 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116DVSPN1311I (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Henkel Us Operations Corp, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Vinyl acetate, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). Reports carcinogens. 4,446 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116NTNLS1350T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Polynt Composites Usa Inc, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 3,870 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116CKPNT919EA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Lmv Automotive Systems, Liberty
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 2,214 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6406WBCKNL3251E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Geiger Ready Mix, Liberty
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium, Lead, Mercury And Mercury Compounds, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). Reports carcinogens. 1,477 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6406WGGRRD526NC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Tenneco Automotive Operating Co Inc., Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese. Reports carcinogens. 1,423 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116TNNCX1529V (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Pas Technologies Dba Standardaero, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: N,N-Dimethylformamide. Reports carcinogens. 1,250 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116NNCRB1234A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
American Italian Pasta Co, Excelsior Springs
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuryl fluoride. 94,783 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6402WMRCNT1ITAL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Ingredion, Inc North Kansas City, North Kansas City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000443093 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Dakota Bodies Llc, Liberty
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium, Copper, Nickel and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 449 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6406WHLLND291HE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Kc Fishing River Wwtp, Kansas City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006619007 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Kcmo Water Service Dept Birmingham Wwtp, Kansas City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039820263 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Winland Foods Inc, Excelsior Springs
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001453622 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Polymeric Us, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, Ethylene glycol. 6,185 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116PLYMN117E1 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Fujifilm Manufacuring Usa Inc., North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers. 5,320 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64116SRCLN20WES (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Lsc Communications / Liberty, Liberty
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol. 4,212 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 64068CLRKP3401H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Holland Nameplate Inc, North Kansas City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 33 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6411WHLLND134BU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Polymerc Imaging, Kansas City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017989426 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6

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 Clay 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 Clay 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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