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Smith County, Tennessee: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Smith County is 193 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 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 132 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (53), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (42), Air permit holder (minor source) (11). 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: 36.2544, -85.9737.

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 Smith County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	54.7	30.2	1.81xSignificant	42.7 to 69.4	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	31.1	17.9	1.74xSignificant	21.8 to 43.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	77.5	51.8	1.5xSignificant	63.5 to 94	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	15.5	11.3	1.37x	9.4 to 24.5	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	193	143.2	1.35xSignificant	169.4 to 219.1	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	17.6	14.5	1.21x	10.8 to 27.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	22.2	18.5	1.2x	14.7 to 32.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	500.3	453.4	1.1xSignificant	461.3 to 541.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.4	8.7	1.08x	5.4 to 16	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.2	13.9	0.95x	7.7 to 21.6	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.1	18.7	0.86x	10 to 24.8	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	19.2	23.8	0.81x	12 to 29.3	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 Smith County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,786.3	9,842.6	+30%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	60.2	59.8	+1%	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	137.6	96.9	+42%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	57.4	28.6	+101%	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.

Formaldehyde20.27 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde2.24 per million
Benzene0.84 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing53
NPDES wastewater discharge permit42
Air permit holder (minor source)11
Gas station (mapped facility)8
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Public airport2
Brownfield property2
Major air pollution source1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hydroelectric 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.

Nystar Gordonsville Mine & Mill, Gordonsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds, Cadmium compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 12,915,395 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 38563SVGZN120ZI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Bonnell Aluminum Inc., Carthage
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Xylene (mixed isomers), Toluene, Certain glycol ethers and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 785,187 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37030WLLMLHWY53 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Bonnell Aluminum, Inc., Gordonsville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $1,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056961328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.1
Nyrstar - Cumberland Mine, Carthage
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds, Mercury And Mercury Compounds and 1 more. 3,527,987 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 37030SVGZNMYERS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Cumberland Mine, Carthage
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022442070 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Pasminco Zinc Incorporated, Gordonsville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000375415 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Bonnell Aluminum, Inc., Gordonsville
Major air pollution source. Penalties $1,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056961328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Elmwood Mine, Elmwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009115313 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Bonnell Aluminum, Inc., Gordonsville
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $1,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056961328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Bonnell Aluminum, Inc., Gordonsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056961328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Smith Utility District Wtp, Carthage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006689832 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Taiho Manufacturing Of Tennessee,.Llc., Gordonsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 38563TFGLB167BE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Tf Global Gasket, Gordonsville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020518091 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Shiroki-Gt, Llc, Gordonsville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070813521 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Carthage Stp, Carthage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006690651 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Industrial Property, Gordonsville
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071969767 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Clark Lumber, Carthage
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071977880 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Pasminco Zinc Incorporated, Gordonsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000375415 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Cumberland Mine, Carthage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022442070 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Shiroki-Gt Llc, Gordonsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese.
TRI facility ID 3856WSHRKG165SP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Gordonsville Stp, Gordonsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006664181 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Robert Simpson Property- Alexandria Hwy, Alexandria
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,952.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071952035 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Rogers Group, Inc. Dba Gordonsville Quarry, Gordonsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009786197 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Carthage Cleaners
Dry cleaner (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID node/6194071286 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
Dana Driveshaft Products, Llc, Gordonsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001129127 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8

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 Smith 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 Smith 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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