TN / county FIPS 47063 / county research

Hamblen County, Tennessee: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Hamblen County is 189.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Bladder deaths at 2 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 458 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (205), Rail grade crossing (100), Air permit holder (minor source) (46). 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: 36.2136, -83.2705.

How this county ranks in Tennessee

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 Hamblen County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	Deaths	8.4	4.1	2.05xSignificant	5.7 to 11.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	47.7	30.2	1.58xSignificant	41.5 to 54.8	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	5.7	3.7	1.54x	3.7 to 8.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	78.5	51.8	1.52xSignificant	70.4 to 87.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	8	5.7	1.4x	5.4 to 11.4	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.7	4.8	1.4x	4.5 to 9.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	9.2	6.6	1.39x	6.6 to 12.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	15.4	11.3	1.36xSignificant	11.9 to 19.8	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	189.3	143.2	1.32xSignificant	176.4 to 203.1	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	8.5	6.6	1.29x	5.9 to 12.1	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.5	4.4	1.25x	3.6 to 8.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	22.2	17.9	1.24x	17.7 to 27.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	5.7	4.6	1.24x	3.6 to 8.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	16.7	13.9	1.2x	13 to 21.3	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	7.1	6.2	1.15x	4.8 to 10.3	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	26.4	23.8	1.11x	21.5 to 32.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	20.1	18.7	1.07x	16.1 to 25	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	483.3	453.4	1.07xSignificant	462 to 505.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.3	14.5	1.06x	11.5 to 20	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.6	8.7	0.99x	6 to 11.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.8	18.5	0.96x	14 to 22.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10	13	0.77x	6.8 to 14	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 Hamblen County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,647.4	9,842.6	+39%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.1	75.3	-6%	years
Child mortality	47.2	59.8	-21%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.2	6.2	-0%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	103.9	96.9	+7%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	48.8	28.6	+71%	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.

Formaldehyde22.43 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.86 per million
Acetaldehyde2.43 per million
Benzene1.15 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit205
Rail grade crossing100
Air permit holder (minor source)46
Gas station (mapped facility)27
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)17
Scrapyard (mapped facility)15
TRI reporting facility15
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)9
Small hazardous waste generator9
Large hazardous waste generator4
Major air pollution source3
Brownfield property2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1

Highest-severity records

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

Pioneer Plastics Corp, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methyl methacrylate, Cumene hydroperoxide. Reports carcinogens. 47,419 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37816STRLN325DE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Macdermid Printing Solutions, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Diisocyanates, Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate, Toluene diisocyanate (mixed isomers), Toluene-2,6-diisocyanate. Reports carcinogens. 2,387 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37814WRGRC5700C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Clayton Supply Morristown I/Ii, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers. 50,436 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3781WCLYTN5649E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Jtekt Automotive Tennessee Morristown, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Aluminum (fume or dust), Zinc (fume or dust), Copper, Nickel and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 456 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3781WJTKTT5932C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Pioneer Plastics Corporation, Morristown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000372953 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Clayton Supply Morristown I/Ii, Morristown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071284367 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Mahle Engine Components Usa Inc, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper And Copper Compounds, Nickel And Nickel Compounds. Reports carcinogens. 69 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37815MHLNCHWY11 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems Llc, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 61 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37813RCKWLONERO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Koch Tenn, Inc, Whitesburg
Major air pollution source. Penalties $9,884.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054863395 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Industrial Connections & Solutions Llc, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 37 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37816GLCTR5320E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Trelleborg Coated Systems Us Inc, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene. 2,278 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3781WTRLLB568CM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Colortech, Inc., Morristown
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $7,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000372855 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Colgate Palmolive Co, Morristown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060259802 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Turkey Creek Wwtp (Morristown Stp), Morristown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006367724 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Witt Utility District Wtp, Morristown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,421.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025170936 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Koch Tenn, Inc, Whitesburg
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $9,884.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054863395 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Koch Tenn, Inc, Whitesburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $9,884.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054863395 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Morristown Staves, Morristown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064626855 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Iatric Manufacturing Solutions, Morristown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000372873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Colgate Palmolive Co, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Zinc compounds. 704 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3781WCLGTP2CENT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.2
Iatric Manufacturing Solutions Llc, Morristown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers. 643 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37816MRRST328HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.2
Macdermid Graphic Arts, Morristown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000372935 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Toppan Packaging Usa Inc., Morristown
Major air pollution source. Penalties $4,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000372891 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Jtekt Automotive, Morristown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031505299 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Mahle Engine Components Usa, Inc., Russellville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000372944 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8

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 Hamblen County

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