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Cherokee County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Cherokee County is 156.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 230 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (104), Rail grade crossing (67), Gas station (mapped facility) (20). 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: 31.7818, -95.1835.

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 Cherokee County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	6.4	3.4	1.88xSignificant	4 to 9.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	16.3	8.7	1.87xSignificant	12.3 to 21.2	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	10	6.6	1.52xSignificant	6.7 to 14.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	8.3	5.7	1.46x	5.4 to 12.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	9.6	6.6	1.45x	6.6 to 13.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	71.3	51.8	1.38xSignificant	62.8 to 80.8	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	23.6	17.9	1.32xSignificant	18.5 to 29.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36.8	30.2	1.22xSignificant	30.7 to 43.8	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	4.4	3.7	1.19x	2.5 to 7.3	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	16.8	14.5	1.16x	12.5 to 22.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	15.4	13.9	1.11x	11.4 to 20.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	497	453.4	1.1xSignificant	472.7 to 522.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	156.3	143.2	1.09x	143.2 to 170.5	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	20.1	18.5	1.09x	15.5 to 25.8	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.2	6.2	1x	3.5 to 10.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	13	13	1x	9 to 18.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.9	11.3	0.96x	7.6 to 15.2	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	17.7	18.7	0.95x	13.5 to 22.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	14.9	23.8	0.63x	10.9 to 20.1	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 Cherokee County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,651.5	9,842.6	+18%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.1	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	58.1	59.8	-3%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8	6.2	+29%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	88.2	96.9	-9%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	10.9	28.6	-62%	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.

Formaldehyde25.6 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.89 per million
Acetaldehyde2.22 per million
Ethylene Oxide0.92 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit104
Rail grade crossing67
Gas station (mapped facility)20
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
Air permit holder (minor source)7
TRI reporting facility6
Major air pollution source5
Public airport4
Brownfield property2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Commercial airport1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1
Gas power 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.

Warminster Fiberglass Llc, Jacksonville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 31,894 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 75766WRMNSRT2BO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Double Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Jacksonville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $109,075.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000722898 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Century Industrial Coatings I Nc., Jacksonville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, sec-Butyl alcohol, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. 64,923 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 75766CNTRYHWY69 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Klein Products Of Texas, Jacksonville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 131 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7576WKLNPR56MIL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Century Industrial Coatings Inc, Jacksonville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017284892 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Warminster Fiberglass Co, Jacksonville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000458601 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Rusk Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rusk
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001880377 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
City Of Cuney Wwtp, Cuney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $33,150.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070016277 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Stryker Creek Steam Electric Station, Jacksonville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008147665 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Klein Products Of Texas, Jacksonville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070356283 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Leo Hicks Creosoting Co Inc, Alto
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Creosote. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 75925LHCKSHWY69 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Teknor Color, Jacksonville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000458594 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Stryker Creek Steam Electric Station, Jacksonville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008147665 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Luvata Electrofin Texas, Jacksonville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069285767 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
City Of Alto Wwtp, Alto
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071297305 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Stryker Creek Steam Electric Station, Jacksonville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 7578WSTRYK1895F (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Teknor Color Co, Jacksonville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Lead And Lead Compounds and 2 more. 60 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 75766PRGRS4545N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.4
City Of New Summerfield Wwtp, New Summerfield
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009747756 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Leo Hicks Creosoting Co Inc, Alto
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000873804 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Stryker Creek Steam Electric Station, Jacksonville
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008147665 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
City Of Bullard-Plant 7 - 23455 Fm 2137, Bullard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009778268 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Txi - Jacksonville Ready Mix, Jacksonville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069266868 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
City Of Troup Wwtp, Troup
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $18,750.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009779980 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Stryker Creek, Jacksonville
Gas power plant.
Record ID 3504 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.7
Unocal Bullard Station, Bullard
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007206111 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5

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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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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