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Bolivar County, Mississippi: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Bolivar County is 218.2 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 and Leukemia deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 166 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (51), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (44), Gas station (mapped facility) (17). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 33.8247, -90.8572.

How this county ranks in Mississippi

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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 Bolivar County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	55.1	30.2	1.82xSignificant	44.9 to 67.1	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	10.2	5.7	1.79xSignificant	5.8 to 16.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	218.2	143.2	1.52xSignificant	197 to 241.2	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	9.1	6.6	1.38x	5.2 to 15	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.6	17.9	1.15x	14.5 to 28.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	57.7	51.8	1.11x	47.5 to 69.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.8	11.3	1.04x	7.3 to 18.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	416.7	453.4	0.92x	387.3 to 447.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	15.8	18.7	0.84x	10.2 to 23.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	10.9	13.9	0.78x	6.7 to 17	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	9	14.5	0.62x	5.1 to 14.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	12.6	23.8	0.53x	7.5 to 19.8	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 Bolivar County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	19,769.1	9,842.6	+101%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	67	75.3	-11%	years
Child mortality	112.2	59.8	+88%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	10.4	6.2	+68%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	115.3	96.9	+19%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	15.6	28.6	-46%	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.

Formaldehyde23.38 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.94 per million
Acetaldehyde2.29 per million
Benzene0.65 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 359 days: 258 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 43, peak 88.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing51
NPDES wastewater discharge permit44
Gas station (mapped facility)17
Air permit holder (minor source)9
Brownfield property9
Public airport7
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1
Scrapyard (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.

Quality Steel Corp, Cleveland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium, Nickel, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 10,214 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 38732QLTYSUSHWY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Baxter Healthcare Corp., Cleveland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chlorine, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Reports carcinogens. 505 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 38732BXTRHHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Quality Steel Corp., Cleveland
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000605159 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Winstonville Potw, Winstonville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,875.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008516613 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Cleveland Potw, Cleveland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110016769022 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Cleveland
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000375816 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Cleveland Delta State, Cleveland
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 280110002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5
Bolivar County Correctional Facility, The, Cleveland
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110008514713 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Benoit Potw, Benoit
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,875.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002306987 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Mmc Materials Inc - Cleveland, Cleveland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3873WMMCMT16WAL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.7
Bolivar County, Shaw
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008514848 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Gunnison Potw, Gunnison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008515366 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Cives Steel Co, Rosedale
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 38769CVSSTPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Axel Americas Llc, Rosedale
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene-2,6-diisocyanate, Antimony compounds, Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate, Zinc compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 38769JSCRS150CR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Mound Bayou Potw, Mound Bayou
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008515810 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
James Peacock Jr Trailer Park, Boyle
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008519852 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Joel Trusts Partnership, Cleveland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008519941 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Jesco Resources Inc, Rosedale
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002107602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Cives Steel Company, Rosedale
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002226323 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Bolivar County Correctional Facility, The, Cleveland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008514713 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Mmc Materials Inc - Cleveland, Cleveland
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071434285 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Duncan Potw, Duncan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008515080 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Trunkline Gas Company Llc, Shaw Compress, Shaw
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001472754 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Cleveland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000375816 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Quality Steel Corp., Cleveland
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000605159 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3

Correctional facilities

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

Bolivar County Correctional Facility, The, Cleveland
EPA FRS registry ID
110008514713
Wastewater permit
Yes, significant noncompliance, 11 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Bolivar County

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