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Carter County, Oklahoma: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Carter County is 202.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 505 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (350), Rail grade crossing (41), Gas station (mapped facility) (28). 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: 34.2855, -97.2479.

How this county ranks in Oklahoma

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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 Carter County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	6.4	3.4	1.88xSignificant	3.9 to 10.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	51	30.2	1.69xSignificant	43.4 to 59.7	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	5.7	3.7	1.54x	3.3 to 9.3	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	7.2	4.8	1.5x	4.4 to 11.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	26.2	17.9	1.46xSignificant	20.5 to 33	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	8.3	5.7	1.46x	5.2 to 12.7	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	202.3	143.2	1.41xSignificant	186.4 to 219.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	69.7	51.8	1.35xSignificant	60.7 to 79.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	11.7	8.7	1.34x	8.1 to 16.4	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	5.9	4.6	1.28x	3.5 to 9.4	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	8.1	6.6	1.23x	5.3 to 12	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12	11.3	1.06x	8.4 to 16.8	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	19.6	18.7	1.05x	14.9 to 25.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	464.5	453.4	1.02x	439.8 to 490.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.9	13.9	1x	10 to 19	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.1	6.2	0.98x	3.5 to 10	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	14.2	14.5	0.98x	10.1 to 19.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	22	23.8	0.92x	16.8 to 28.3	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9.2	13	0.71x	5.7 to 13.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	11.2	18.5	0.61x	7.8 to 15.8	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 Carter County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,498.8	9,842.6	+27%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.7	75.3	-5%	years
Child mortality	66.5	59.8	+11%	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	115.6	96.9	+19%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	24.8	28.6	-13%	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.

Formaldehyde22.12 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.87 per million
Ethylene Oxide2.73 per million
Acetaldehyde1.76 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 343 days: 280 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 32, peak 155.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)350
Rail grade crossing41
Gas station (mapped facility)28
NPDES wastewater discharge permit21
Major air pollution source11
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
TRI reporting facility8
Public airport7
Hazardous waste transporter6
Small hazardous waste generator5
Brownfield property4
Large hazardous waste generator4
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Heliport2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
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.

Valero Refining Co -Oklahoma Valero Ardmore Refinery, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), n-Hexane, Toluene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 715,862 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 73401TTLPTHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Ardmore Refinery, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $35,831.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000606746 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.8
Beetle Plastics Llc A Midwest Cooling Tower Co, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 13,061 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 73401BTLPLARDMO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Ej Ardmore Inc, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Nickel And Nickel Compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 512 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 73401JWRDM502PE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Michelin N.A. Inc. Ardmore Plant, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Cobalt And Cobalt Compounds, Cobalt compounds. Reports carcinogens. 448 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 73402THNRY1101U (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Medxl, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene oxide, Ethylene glycol. Reports carcinogens. 115 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7340WLMCRD324HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Ardmore Refinery, Ardmore
Major air pollution source. Penalties $35,831.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000606746 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Ej Ardmore Inc- Foundry, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012703681 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Ardmore Refinery, Ardmore
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $35,831.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000606746 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Ardmore Refinery, Ardmore
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $35,831.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000606746 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Rustin Ardmore Rmc Plant, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 4 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7340WRSTNR141MN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Ardmore Refinery, Ardmore
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $35,831.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000606746 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Ardmore Tire Plant, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000454197 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Atlas Roofing Corp, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Copper compounds. Reports carcinogens. 3 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 73401TLSRF2300P (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.9
Lemco Ardmore, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001638032 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
City Of Ardmore Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ardmore
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024424602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Ej Ardmore Inc- Foundry, Ardmore
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012703681 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc. - Ardmore, Ardmore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 7340WRGNSP25REF (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
HEALDTON, Healdton
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 400190297 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.5
Ardmore Roofing Plt, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001631501 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
Ej Ardmore Inc- Foundry, Ardmore
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012703681 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ergon Asphalt And Emulsions Inc / Ardmore Ok Facility, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017358866 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ardmore Batch Plant, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055499170 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ifs Coatings, Inc, Ardmore
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070551269 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ardmore Tire Plant, Ardmore
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000454197 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8

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 Carter County

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