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Calhoun County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Calhoun County is 184.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Liver & bile duct deaths at 2.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 225 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (81), Rail grade crossing (75), Major air pollution source (12). 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: 28.3943, -96.5996.

How this county ranks in Texas

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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 Calhoun County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	New cases	24.4	8.7	2.8xSignificant	16.8 to 34.5	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	16.7	6.6	2.53xSignificant	10.8 to 25.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	25.9	17.9	1.45x	17.2 to 37.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	184.2	143.2	1.29xSignificant	162 to 208.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36.9	30.2	1.22x	27.6 to 48.6	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	20.4	18.7	1.09x	13.4 to 30.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.7	14.5	1.08x	9.7 to 24.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.8	13.9	1.06x	8.7 to 23.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	54.3	51.8	1.05x	42.8 to 68.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	455.3	453.4	1x	418.6 to 494.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.9	18.5	0.86x	9.6 to 25	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	15.4	23.8	0.65x	9.6 to 23.9	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 Calhoun County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,451.9	9,842.6	-4%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.6	75.3	+0%	years
Child mortality	70.1	59.8	+17%	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	77.5	96.9	-20%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	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.

Formaldehyde16.91 per million
Ethylene Oxide3.46 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.89 per million
Acetaldehyde1.15 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit81
Rail grade crossing75
Major air pollution source12
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
TRI reporting facility6
Air permit holder (minor source)5
Gas station (mapped facility)5
Large hazardous waste generator5
Small hazardous waste generator5
Public airport4
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Gas power plant4
Hazardous waste transporter3
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Heliport1
Battery storage plant1
Other power plant1
Oil-fired power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1
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.

Ineos Usa Green Lake Facility, Port Lavaca
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $13,727.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000502867 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas, Point Comfort
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $3,655,889.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018925957 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
ALCOA (Point Comfort)/Lavaca Bay, Point Comfort
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID TXD008123168 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Ineos Nitriles Usa Llc Green Lake Plant, Port Lavaca
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetonitrile, Ammonia, Acrylonitrile, Acrylamide and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 94,429,184 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 77979BPCHMTEXAS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Formosa Plastics Corp Texas, Point Comfort
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene, Propylene, Ammonia, n-Hexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 7,921,069 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 77978FRMSPPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.8
Union Carbide Corp Seadrift Plant, Seadrift
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene, Ammonia, n-Butyl alcohol, Propylene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,741,664 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 77979NNCRBPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.7
Union Carbide Seadrift Cogen, Seadrift
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $55,475.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007175154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.3
Seadrift Coke Lp, Port Lavaca
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene, Ethylene, Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 47,988 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 77983RCCRBHWY18 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Seadrift Coke Lp, Port Lavaca
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043798913 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Ineos Usa Green Lake Facility, Port Lavaca
Major air pollution source. Penalties $13,727.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000502867 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas, Point Comfort
Major air pollution source. Penalties $3,655,889.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018925957 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Braskem America Inc Seadrift Plant, Seadrift
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene, Ethylene. 270,131 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7798WBRSKM751NH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Ineos Usa Green Lake Facility, Port Lavaca
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $13,727.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000502867 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Ineos Usa Green Lake Facility, Port Lavaca
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $13,727.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000502867 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas, Point Comfort
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $3,655,889.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018925957 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas, Point Comfort
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,655,889.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018925957 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Gulfmark Energy Inc, Port Lavaca
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers), Benzene. Reports carcinogens. 1,368 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7797WGLFMR24PIN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Union Carbide Seadrift Cogen, Seadrift
Major air pollution source. Penalties $55,475.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007175154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Lynn'S Bayou Wwtp, Port Lavaca
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039693702 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Union Carbide Seadrift Cogen, Seadrift
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $55,475.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007175154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Union Carbide Seadrift Cogen, Seadrift
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $55,475.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007175154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas, Point Comfort
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $3,655,889.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018925957 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Seadrift Coke Lp, Port Lavaca
Major air pollution source. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043798913 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Calhoun Chemicals Llc, Port Lavaca
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acrylamide, Acrylic acid, Ammonia. Reports carcinogens. 10 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7797WCLHNC11674 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Gulfmark Energy Inc, Port Lavaca
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064375117 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1

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 Calhoun County

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