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Culberson County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Culberson County is 161.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 106 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (38), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (18), Rail grade crossing (16). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 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: 31.461, -104.4917.

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 Culberson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	161.5	143.2	1.13x	103.4 to 243.7	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	437.6	453.4	0.97x	326 to 575.7	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 Culberson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	14,090.3	9,842.6	+43%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.1	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	138	96.9	+42%	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: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde11.13 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.55 per million
Benzene0.91 per million
Acetaldehyde0.49 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 88 days: 67 good, 2 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 32, peak 159.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)38
NPDES wastewater discharge permit18
Rail grade crossing16
Gas station (mapped facility)12
Major air pollution source6
TRI reporting facility4
Public airport2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)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.

Preakness Gas Plant, Van Horn
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Hexane, Methanol, Benzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 32,497 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7985WPRKNS16NSC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Hidalgo Argo Gas Plant, Orla
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067714511 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Preakness Gas Plant, Van Horn
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071397442 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Falcon Gas Plant, Orla
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070615801 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Town Of Van Horn Sewage Treatment Plant, Van Horn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,325.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010124285 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Peregrine Gas Plant, Orla
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071163227 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Delaware Compressor Station, Van Horn
Major air pollution source. Penalties $245,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064847634 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Guadalupe Compressor Station, El Paso
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008142651 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
West Texas Launch Site, Van Horn
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110042263332 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Falcon Gas Plant, Orla
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070836796 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Peregrine Gas Plant, Orla
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071241124 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Wise Compressor Station, Toyah
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071524387 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
West Texas Launch Site, Van Horn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110042263332 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Hidalgo Argo Gas Plant, Orla
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067714511 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Preakness Gas Plant, Van Horn
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071397442 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Apr Operating - Wise West Ctb, Pine Springs
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $234,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071073154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Conocophillips - El Jefe Tank Battery, Orla
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $2,450,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071084295 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Culberson County, Van Horn
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID VHN (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Red Bluff Landfill, Orla
Landfill (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/1493544211 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
Marble Canyon Mining Operations, Van Horn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034447864 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
West Texas Launch Site, Van Horn
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110042263332 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Wildhorse Dairy, Van Horn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046338593 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Jobe Materials, L.P. - Van Horn Quarry - Concrete Batch Plant - Asphalt Plant, Van Horn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070055232 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Burro Mineral Sand Mine, Van Horn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070366775 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Town Of Van Horn Landfill, Van Horn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070620037 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

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 Culberson 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 Culberson 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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