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Brown County, Ohio: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Brown County is 187.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 2.4 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 153 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (49), Gas station (mapped facility) (31), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (20). 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: 38.9416, -83.8555.

How this county ranks in Ohio

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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 Brown County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	Deaths	8.7	3.7	2.35xSignificant	5.8 to 12.9	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	13.5	6.2	2.18xSignificant	9.1 to 19.4	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	8.9	4.6	1.93xSignificant	5.9 to 13	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	87.2	51.8	1.68xSignificant	77.2 to 98.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	49.7	30.2	1.65xSignificant	42.2 to 58.3	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	29.2	18.7	1.56xSignificant	23.4 to 36.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	26.1	17.9	1.46xSignificant	20.3 to 33.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.2	23.8	1.35xSignificant	25.5 to 40.2	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5.5	4.1	1.34x	3.1 to 9.2	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	187.3	143.2	1.31xSignificant	171.9 to 203.9	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	8.4	6.6	1.27x	5.3 to 12.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.1	4.8	1.27x	3.5 to 10	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	518.3	453.4	1.14xSignificant	491.7 to 546.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.3	5.7	1.11x	3.7 to 10.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	11.6	11.3	1.03x	8 to 16.4	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.7	18.5	0.96x	12.9 to 23.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.7	14.5	0.94x	9.5 to 19.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13	13.9	0.94x	9 to 18.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.1	6.6	0.92x	3.6 to 9.8	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	7.7	13	0.59x	4.3 to 12.6	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 Brown County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,369.4	9,842.6	+26%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.6	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	60.2	59.8	+1%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7.6	6.2	+23%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	118.9	96.9	+23%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	58.1	28.6	+103%	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.

Formaldehyde18.56 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million
Acetaldehyde1.97 per million
Benzene0.99 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing49
Gas station (mapped facility)31
NPDES wastewater discharge permit20
Air permit holder (minor source)13
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)11
Public airport4
Major air pollution source3
Heliport3
Brownfield property2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
TRI reporting facility2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Commercial airport1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Industrial wastewater discharge1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1
Solar 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.

Milacron Plastics Technologies Group Llc-Mt Orab, Mount Orab
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nickel, Chromium, Manganese and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 34,675 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 45154CNCNN418WM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
American Trailer Works Ohio Llc, Mount Orab
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper, Chromium, Nickel and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 405 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 45154TRNTYFRONT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Georgetown Wwtp, Georgetown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006700249 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Milacron Inc, Mount Orab
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000392879 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Rumpke Waste And Recycling - Landfill, Georgetown
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004719653 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Hawkline Llc, Mount Orab
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000605462 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.6
Rumpke Waste And Recycling - Landfill, Georgetown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004719653 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ripley Sewage Treatment Plant, Ripley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006350297 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Russellville Wwtp, Russellville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011016836 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Dayton Power & Light Co Jm Stuart Station, Aberdeen
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000741920 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Rumpke Waste And Recycling - Landfill, Georgetown
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004719653 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Close To Home Center, Sardinia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064450507 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Waynoka Regional W & Sd, Sardinia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039783721 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Dayton Power & Light Co Jm Stuart Station, Aberdeen
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000741920 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Brown County Landfill Gas Power Station, Georgetown
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070226345 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Sardinia Wwtp, Sardinia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009688775 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Aberdeen Wwtp, Aberdeen
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011017522 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Ripley Foundation Property, Ripley
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038752864 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Aberdeen School House, Former, Aberdeen
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072077758 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Milacron Inc, Mount Orab
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000392879 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Dayton Power & Light Co Jm Stuart Station, Aberdeen
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000741920 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Higginsport Wwtp, Higginsport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008641103 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Barber'S Auto Salvage, Mt. Orab
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055369818 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Brown County Lfgte Power Station, Georgetown
Biomass power plant.
Record ID 61145 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 2.5
Dayton Power & Light Co Jm Stuart Station, Aberdeen
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000741920 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2

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 Brown County

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