NM / county FIPS 35059 / county research

Union County, New Mexico: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Union County is 164.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 81 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (32), Air permit holder (minor source) (16), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (16). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 10 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: 36.3638, -103.5249.

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Union County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	164.8	143.2	1.15x	121 to 221.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	348	453.4	0.77x	280.3 to 428.4	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 Union County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,002.1	9,842.6	+22%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.8	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	93.6	96.9	-3%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 10 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde9.71 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.52 per million
Acetaldehyde0.6 per million
Benzene0.37 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing32
Air permit holder (minor source)16
NPDES wastewater discharge permit16
Gas station (mapped facility)9
Brownfield property2
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Heliport1
Industrial wastewater discharge1

Highest-severity records

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

Apache Feedyard, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011031622 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Former Clayton Library, Clayton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071977619 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
113 Front Street, Clayton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071977621 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Tri K Feeders, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $30,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011031481 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Rkr Feeders, L.L.C., Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $4,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011031506 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Clayton Muni Airpark, Clayton
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID CAO (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Northeast Nm Detention Facility
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110051231742 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 1.6
Five States Livestock Auction,, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011031604 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Clayton Muni Arpk, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011031873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Gallegos Phase 2 Wind Farm, Grenville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070066836 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Gallegos Phase 1 Wind Farm, Grenville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070066837 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Don Carlos Wind Farm, Gladstone
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070066838 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Clayton Municipal Airpark, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070254817 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Toot N Totum, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070930087 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Only Point Source Is Flat Land, Amistad
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071065230 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Repair And Improvements To Volcano Road, Capulin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071409323 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Beech Street Improvements, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071409965 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Des Moines Combined School, Des Moines
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071545427 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Rus Reconnect Routes Within The Clayton And Fort Sumner Exchanges, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071644563 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Gonzo, Clayton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072220707 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Private, Folsom
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 094478W (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private, Folsom
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 094481E (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Horseshoe Road, Folsom
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 094482L (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private Road, Des Moines
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 094483T (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private Road, Des Moines
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 094484A (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3

Correctional facilities

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

Northeast Nm Detention Facility
EPA FRS registry ID
110051231742
Water system
NM3500131
Health-based violations
3 all time, 1 in 5 years
All violations
8
Contaminants cited
Groundwater Rule, LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Union County

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

Scan an address in Union County View on the heat map All New Mexico counties