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Le Flore County, Oklahoma: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Le Flore County is 200.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 356 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (142), Rail grade crossing (128), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (33). 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 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: 34.9565, -94.6874.

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 Le Flore County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	56.6	30.2	1.87xSignificant	48.7 to 65.5	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	6.5	4.1	1.59x	3.9 to 10.1	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	6.6	4.4	1.5x	3.8 to 10.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	75.6	51.8	1.46xSignificant	66.5 to 85.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	200.3	143.2	1.4xSignificant	184.8 to 216.8	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	6.1	4.6	1.33x	3.8 to 9.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.9	4.8	1.23x	3.5 to 9.5	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	10.6	8.7	1.22x	7.3 to 15	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.5	17.9	1.2x	16.3 to 27.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.7	5.7	1.18x	4.1 to 10.6	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	15.2	13	1.17x	10.7 to 20.9	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.6	6.2	1.06x	3.7 to 10.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7	6.6	1.06x	4.4 to 10.7	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	24	23.8	1.01x	18.6 to 30.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.9	13.9	1x	10.1 to 18.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	448.9	453.4	0.99x	425 to 473.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.8	14.5	0.95x	9.8 to 19.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.7	11.3	0.95x	7.4 to 15	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.1	18.5	0.92x	12.8 to 22.4	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.3	18.7	0.87x	12.1 to 21.5	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.4	6.6	0.82x	3 to 9	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 Le Flore County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,655.2	9,842.6	+39%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71	75.3	-6%	years
Child mortality	68.4	59.8	+14%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7.7	6.2	+25%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	99.5	96.9	+3%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	21.7	28.6	-24%	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.

Formaldehyde21.8 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde2.04 per million
Pahpom0.82 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)142
Rail grade crossing128
NPDES wastewater discharge permit33
Gas station (mapped facility)15
Industrial wastewater discharge6
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)5
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Public airport3
Small hazardous waste generator3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Major air pollution source2
Commercial airport1
Brownfield property1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Coal power plant1
Hydroelectric plant1
Scrapyard (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.

Oldcastle Infrastructure Inc, Poteau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 30,495 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7495WCRHMR59SMC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Oge Energy Corp River Valley Generating Station, Panama
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Hydrogen fluoride, Zinc compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 16,507 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 74951SSHDY3MILE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Ok Foods - Heavener, Heavener
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000455944 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Elite Comfort Solutions Llc, Fort Smith
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 1,002 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7290WLTCMF4921S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
River Valley, Panama
Coal power plant.
Record ID 10671 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 6.3
Ok Foods Inc-Heavener (Bachoco Usa), Heavener
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Peracetic acid. 15,809 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 74937KFDSN1000O (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
River Valley, Panama
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056955460 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Crh Americas, Poteau
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070813798 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Elite Comfort Solutions - Fort Smith, Fort Smith
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070071626 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Talihina Pwa, Talihina
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,714.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011008676 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Ok Ind Inc /Heavener Feed Mill, Heavener
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013743066 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
River Valley, Panama
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056955460 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Poteau, City Of, Poteau
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022624873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Heavener Ua-Industrial Wtp, Heavener
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064606225 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Centerpoint Engry G/Spiro Sta, Bokoshe
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007387693 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Panama Public Works Authority, Panama
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011007837 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
River Valley, Panama
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056955460 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Poteau Valley Improvement Authority, Wister
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000714031 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Heavener City Hall/Theater, Heavener
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071979241 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Ok Foods Inc-Heavener Feed Mill, Heavener
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 74937KNDFDHWY12 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Bokoshe Pwa, Bokoshe
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011008471 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Farrell Cooper Mining Co.-Bull Hill Mine, Wister
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024879283 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Kansas City Southern Railway Co, Heavener
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004744331 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Shady Point Pwa, Shady Point
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009154707 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Heavener Utility Authority, Heavener
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010698067 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3

Correctional facilities

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

Jim E. Hamilton Correctional Center, Hodgen
EPA FRS registry ID
110011009121
Water system
OK3004049
Health-based violations
4 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
23
Contaminants cited
TTHM, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Wastewater permit
Yes, 2 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Le Flore 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 Le Flore 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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