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Forrest County, Mississippi: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Forrest County is 180.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate and Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 473 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (131), Rail grade crossing (101), Gas station (mapped facility) (74). 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: 31.1766, -89.2472.

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 Forrest County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	11.2	6.6	1.7xSignificant	8.1 to 15	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	5.6	3.4	1.65xSignificant	3.5 to 8.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	49.4	30.2	1.64xSignificant	42.7 to 56.8	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	5.5	3.7	1.49x	3.5 to 8.4	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	26.4	17.9	1.47xSignificant	21.4 to 32.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	75.7	51.8	1.46xSignificant	67.5 to 84.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.5	23.8	1.37xSignificant	26.9 to 38.8	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	6.1	4.6	1.33x	3.9 to 9.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	180.9	143.2	1.26xSignificant	167.9 to 194.6	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	14	11.3	1.24x	10.6 to 18.2	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	6.7	5.7	1.18x	4.5 to 9.8	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	526	453.4	1.16xSignificant	503.5 to 549.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9	8.7	1.03x	6.3 to 12.5	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.8	6.6	1.03x	4.5 to 10	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	17.6	18.7	0.94x	13.7 to 22.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13	13.9	0.94x	9.7 to 17.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.5	14.5	0.93x	10.1 to 17.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.2	4.8	0.88x	2.4 to 6.7	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16	18.5	0.86x	12.2 to 20.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.8	4.4	0.86x	2.2 to 6.3	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	9.7	13	0.75x	6.6 to 13.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	4.2	6.2	0.68x	2.4 to 6.8	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 Forrest County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,611.1	9,842.6	+38%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.4	75.3	-5%	years
Child mortality	88.9	59.8	+49%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	10.5	6.2	+70%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	92.9	96.9	-4%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	21.6	28.6	-24%	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.

Formaldehyde24.68 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.43 per million
Ethylene Oxide0.86 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 363 days: 226 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 45, peak 97.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit131
Rail grade crossing101
Gas station (mapped facility)74
Brownfield property69
Air permit holder (minor source)22
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)14
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)12
TRI reporting facility12
Small hazardous waste generator9
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)5
Major air pollution source4
Hazardous waste transporter4
Large hazardous waste generator3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Heliport2
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Crematorium (mapped facility)1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Solar power plant1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
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.

Hercules Inc, Hattiesburg
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 31.4. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MSD008182081 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Zeon Chemicals Lp Mississippi Plant, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Epichlorohydrin, Ethylene oxide, Dicyclopentadiene. Reports carcinogens. 900,639 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39401BFGDR1301W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.1
Us Army National Guard Camp Shelby Ranges, Camp Shelby
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead, Lead compounds and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 425,890 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39407SRMYCBUILD (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.8
Usa Yeast Company Llc, Hattiesburg
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $122,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012660156 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Resinall Corp, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Dicyclopentadiene, Styrene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 19,565 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39401RSNLL103DI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Resinall Mississippi - Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $33,750.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000377100 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
C L Dews & Sons Foundry & Machinery Co Inc, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Manganese, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 2,807 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39403CLDWS16EDW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Marshall Durbin Poultry Company Inc, Hattiesburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058135922 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Zeon Chemicals Lp, Hattiesburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000377084 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Camp Shelby Training Site, Camp Shelby
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001473030 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Mar-Jac Poultry Ms Llc, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide, Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Peracetic acid. 21,302 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39041MRSHL1200J (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Petal Terminal Company Limited, L.P., Petal
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000712747 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company Llc, Purv, Purvis
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001473539 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Hattiesburg South Lagoon, Hattiesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005974259 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Johnson Controls - York International, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Diisocyanates, Manganese and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 76 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39401YRKNT77ACA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 280350004 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.8
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company Llc, Purv, Purvis
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001473539 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
C L Dews And Sons Foundry And Machinery Company Inc, Hattiesburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002220276 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Usa Yeast Company Llc, Hattiesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $122,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012660156 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Mmc Materials Inc - Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 3 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3070WMMCMT192BY (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Johnson Controls-York, Hattiesburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002207558 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Pine Belt Ready Mix Plant 84, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 3940WPNBLT298GL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Usa Yeast Company Llc, Hattiesburg
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $122,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012660156 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Great River Utility Operating Co Llc, Hattiesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064322148 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Rehlko - Hattiesburg Engine Plant No. 1, Hattiesburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Lead, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Chromium and 1 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 39401KHLRC182JO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5

Correctional facilities

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

City Of Hattiesburg, Lincoln Road Stormwater Detention Facility, Hattiesburg
EPA FRS registry ID
110071866787
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Forrest 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 Forrest 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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