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Obion County, Tennessee: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Obion County is 202.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 2.3 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 2.1 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 242 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (70), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (68), Gas station (mapped facility) (25). 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: 36.358, -89.1755.

How this county ranks in Tennessee

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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 Obion County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	7.7	3.4	2.26xSignificant	4.5 to 12.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	64.2	30.2	2.13xSignificant	54.3 to 75.7	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	9.5	5.7	1.67xSignificant	6 to 14.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	81.6	51.8	1.58xSignificant	70.2 to 94.5	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	10.3	6.6	1.56x	6.1 to 16.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	202.7	143.2	1.42xSignificant	184.1 to 222.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.7	17.9	1.21x	15.8 to 29.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.2	14.5	1.05x	10.4 to 21.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.5	6.6	0.98x	3.7 to 11	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	432	453.4	0.95x	403.8 to 461.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.2	8.7	0.94x	5.1 to 13.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.4	11.3	0.92x	6.6 to 15.9	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	16	18.7	0.86x	11 to 22.8	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.8	13	0.83x	6 to 17.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	8.8	13.9	0.63x	5.4 to 13.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	14.2	23.8	0.6x	9.6 to 20.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	10.9	18.5	0.59x	6.5 to 17.2	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 Obion County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,716.1	9,842.6	+29%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.9	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	94.3	59.8	+58%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.9	6.2	+43%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	90.5	96.9	-7%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	14.3	28.6	-50%	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.

Formaldehyde21.59 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.95 per million
Acetaldehyde2.15 per million
Benzene0.78 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing70
NPDES wastewater discharge permit68
Gas station (mapped facility)25
Air permit holder (minor source)18
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)14
Brownfield property10
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)7
Large greenhouse gas emitter6
TRI reporting facility6
Major air pollution source4
Small hazardous waste generator4
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Heliport1
Landfill (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.

Green Plains Obion Llc, Rives
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Ammonia, n-Hexane, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 173,512 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3825WGRNPL298MC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Tyson Farms, Inc., Union City
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $4,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000374639 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.9
Tyson Farms Inc. - Union City Processing, Union City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Peracetic acid. 2,106,068 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 38261TYSNF2800E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Darling Ingredients Inc., Union City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia. 410,086 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 38261GRFFN227RI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Titan Tire Corp Of Union City, Union City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. Reports carcinogens. 645 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 38261GDYRTMTZIO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Poet Bioprocessing - Obion, Rives
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039493429 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Williams Country Sausage, Union City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 21,256 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 3826WWLLMS5132L (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Griffin Industries Llc, Union City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001860923 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Titan Tire Corporation Of Union City Dba Tennessee Custom Mixing, Union City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000374602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Kohler Co, Union City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. 4,047 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 38261KNKDDNORTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Ecm Of Ridgely Llc, Obion
Major air pollution source. Penalties $7,296.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070003562 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Kohler Company, Union City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000374611 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Waymatic, Inc., South Fulton
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $7,554.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009446581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Ecm Of Ridgely Llc, Obion
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,296.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070003562 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Kenton Lagoon, Kenton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006689805 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
South Fulton Stp, South Fulton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006451516 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
South Fulton Feedmill - Tyson Foods, Inc., South Fulton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017715775 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Tyson Farms, Inc., Union City
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $4,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000374639 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Northwest Tennessee Disposal Corporation Landfill, Union City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001864475 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Waymatic, Inc., South Fulton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,554.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009446581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Poet Bioprocessing - Obion, Rives
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039493429 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Texas Gas Transmission - Kenton Station, Kenton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001857358 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Titan Tire Corporation Of Union City Dba Tennessee Custom Mixing, Union City
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000374602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Northwest Tennessee Disposal Corporation Landfill, Union City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001864475 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Waymatic, Inc., South Fulton
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $7,554.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009446581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3

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 Obion 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 Obion 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.

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