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Jones County, Mississippi: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jones County is 163.7 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 312 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (126), Rail grade crossing (47), Gas station (mapped facility) (37). 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: 31.6385, -89.1716.

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 Jones County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	43.9	30.2	1.45xSignificant	37.8 to 50.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24.2	17.9	1.35xSignificant	19.4 to 29.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	65.8	51.8	1.27xSignificant	58.4 to 73.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.2	5.7	1.26x	4.8 to 10.4	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	8.3	6.6	1.26x	5.8 to 11.7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.4	4.4	1.23x	3.3 to 8.3	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	28.6	23.8	1.2x	23.2 to 34.8	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4.3	3.7	1.16x	2.6 to 6.9	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	163.7	143.2	1.14xSignificant	151.5 to 176.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.9	11.3	1.14x	9.6 to 17	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.6	6.2	1.06x	4.2 to 9.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	473.4	453.4	1.04x	452.2 to 495.4	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.5	4.6	0.98x	2.8 to 7.1	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.2	6.6	0.94x	4.1 to 9.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.1	18.5	0.92x	13.2 to 21.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8	8.7	0.92x	5.6 to 11.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.1	14.5	0.9x	9.6 to 17.3	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.5	18.7	0.88x	12.7 to 21.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	11.7	13.9	0.84x	8.6 to 15.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	3.9	4.8	0.81x	2.2 to 6.3	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	8.6	13	0.66x	5.7 to 12.4	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 Jones County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,749.1	9,842.6	+40%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.5	75.3	-5%	years
Child mortality	106.8	59.8	+79%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	9.9	6.2	+59%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	96.5	96.9	-0%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	15.9	28.6	-44%	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.

Formaldehyde25.23 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.5 per million
Benzene0.79 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit126
Rail grade crossing47
Gas station (mapped facility)37
Air permit holder (minor source)21
Brownfield property17
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)17
TRI reporting facility15
Small hazardous waste generator8
Major air pollution source5
Large hazardous waste generator5
Commercial airport2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Hazardous waste transporter2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
Public airport1
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.

Hunt Sandersville Refinery, Sandersville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $75,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070104834 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.6
Masonite Corp, Laurel
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methanol, Formaldehyde, Lead and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 339,638 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39440MSNTCSOUTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Howard Industries Inc., Laurel
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Manganese compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 114,078 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39441HWRDN3225P (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Southern Hens Inc., Moselle
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Hydrogen sulfide, Ammonia, Nitric acid and 2 more. 5,215,278 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39459STHRN1192M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Hunt Southland Refining Co-Sandersville, Sandersville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide, n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers), 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 53,902 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39477STHLNHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Howard Industries, Laurel
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005985434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.9
Laurel Plant, Laurel
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $37,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000377164 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Howard Industries Inc, Ellisville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, Nickel compounds, Manganese compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region). Reports carcinogens. 4,460 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39437HWRDN152HW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Hunt Sandersville Refinery, Sandersville
Major air pollution source. Penalties $75,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070104834 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Essmueller Co, Laurel
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, Copper and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,420 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39441SSMLL334AV (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Sanderson Farms Inc, Laurel
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $2,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110016833630 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.1
Southern Hens Inc, Moselle
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000377226 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Hunt Sandersville Refinery, Sandersville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $75,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070104834 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Sanderson Farms Inc, Laurel
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Peracetic acid. 50,511 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 39440SNDRS631SA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Amick Farms Llc - Laurel Processing Plant, Laurel
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Peracetic acid. 21,443 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3944WWYNFR525WA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Hunt Sandersville Refinery, Sandersville
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $75,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070104834 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Ge Aviation Ellisville, Ellisville
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055452068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Wayne Farms Llc - Laurel Fresh Plant, Laurel
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069252668 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Howard Industries Inc, Ellisville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039204312 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Howard Industries, Laurel
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005985434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Essmueller Co, Laurel
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002218662 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Howard Industries, Laurel
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005985434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Howard Industries, Laurel
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005985434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company Llc, Compressor Station 80, Heidelberg
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012659765 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Hattiesburg/Laurel Rgnl, Hattiesburg-Laurel
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID PIB (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5

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 Jones 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 Jones 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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