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Knox County, Ohio: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Knox County is 168.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Melanoma of the skin deaths at 2.2 times the U.S. rate and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 131 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (33), Air permit holder (minor source) (26), Gas station (mapped facility) (24). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 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: 40.4118, -82.4139.

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 Knox County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	4.3	2	2.15xSignificant	2.4 to 7.1	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	9.1	4.6	1.98xSignificant	6.5 to 12.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	8.6	4.8	1.79xSignificant	6 to 12	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	6	3.7	1.62xSignificant	4 to 8.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	36.5	23.8	1.53xSignificant	30.6 to 43.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	25.6	18.7	1.37xSignificant	20.9 to 31.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.8	5.7	1.37x	5.5 to 11	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	19.2	14.5	1.32xSignificant	15 to 24.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	16.8	13	1.29x	12.4 to 22.2	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5.2	4.1	1.27x	3.2 to 8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	38.2	30.2	1.26xSignificant	32.7 to 44.4	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.5	4.4	1.25x	3.4 to 8.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	13.6	11.3	1.2x	10.2 to 17.7	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	168.7	143.2	1.18xSignificant	156.4 to 181.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.2	17.9	1.13x	15.9 to 25.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	57.8	51.8	1.12x	50.8 to 65.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	504.1	453.4	1.11xSignificant	481.8 to 527.2	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.6	6.2	1.06x	4.2 to 9.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.8	6.6	1.03x	4.4 to 10.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	13.7	13.9	0.99x	10.3 to 17.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.4	18.5	0.94x	13.4 to 22.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.6	8.7	0.76x	4.3 to 10	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	4.1	6.6	0.62x	2.4 to 6.6	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 Knox County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,935.9	9,842.6	-19%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.3	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	46.9	59.8	-21%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6	6.2	-3%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	71.6	96.9	-26%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	23.3	28.6	-18%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde16.08 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million
Acetaldehyde1.66 per million
Benzene1.14 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 245 days: 209 good, 2 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 39, peak 159.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing33
Air permit holder (minor source)26
Gas station (mapped facility)24
NPDES wastewater discharge permit16
Public airport5
Small hazardous waste generator5
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Large hazardous waste generator2
Heliport2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Oil-fired power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Owens Corning (0142010065), Mount Vernon
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $4,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000766467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Prestress Services Industries Llc - Plant 6, Mount Vernon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel, Manganese, Lead and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 40 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4305WPRSTR435CL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
F.T. Precision Inc., Fredericktown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 36 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 43019FTPRC9731M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Owens Corning (0142010065), Mount Vernon
Major air pollution source. Penalties $4,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000766467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Prestress Services Industries, Llc - Plant 6, Mount Vernon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070913725 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.6
F T Precision, Fredericktown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007716908 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.4
Progress Drive Generation Station, Shelby
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 63457 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Mount Vernon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mount Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000551625 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Owens Corning Insulating Systems Llc Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Lead And Lead Compounds. 2 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 43050WNSCR100BL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.4
Owens Corning (0142010065), Mount Vernon
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $4,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000766467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
International Paper (0142010051), Mount Vernon
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $3,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006307488 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Wyandot Golf And Dining, Centerburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006307521 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Valley Flooring, Llc (0142000409)Valley Flooring, Llc (0142000409), Gambier
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044954476 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Kokosing Construction Co Inc., Fredericktown
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063898206 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Centerburg Wrf, Centerburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044240844 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Danville Wwtp, Danville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064257067 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Legacy Springs-Camp Mcpherson, Danville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006307978 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Gambier Wwtp, Gambier
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006307843 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Fredericktown Village-Fredericktown Wtp, Fredericktown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006660531 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Knox County, Mount Vernon
Public airport. O.
Record ID 4I3 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Chapman Meml Fld, Centerburg
Public airport. O.
Record ID 6CM (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Wynkoop, Mount Vernon
Public airport. O.
Record ID 6G4 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Wastewater Plant
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/355563480 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
Knox County Landfill (closed)
Landfill (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/365523355 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
Wastewater Plant
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/713879968 (OpenStreetMap contributors) 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 Knox 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 Knox 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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