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Deaf Smith County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Deaf Smith County is 147 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 137 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (85), Rail grade crossing (23), Gas station (mapped facility) (7). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 34.9924, -102.6052.

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 Deaf Smith County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	New cases	16.8	8.7	1.93xSignificant	9.5 to 27.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	25.2	17.9	1.41x	15.8 to 38.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	147	143.2	1.03x	122.4 to 174.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	26.7	30.2	0.88x	17 to 39.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	385.3	453.4	0.85x	345.3 to 428.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	33.4	51.8	0.64x	22.7 to 47.5	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 Deaf Smith County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,743.1	9,842.6	-1%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74.2	75.3	-1%	years
Child mortality	59.8	59.8	+0%	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	65	96.9	-33%	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.

Formaldehyde12.75 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.61 per million
Acetaldehyde0.89 per million
Benzene0.6 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit85
Rail grade crossing23
Gas station (mapped facility)7
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)7
Air permit holder (minor source)4
TRI reporting facility4
Major air pollution source2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Wind 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.

White Energy Hereford Llc, Hereford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Ammonia, n-Hexane, Benzene and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 90,721 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7904WWHTNR99PRG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Hereford Ethanol Partners, Hereford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Methanol, Formaldehyde and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 80,262 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7904WHRFRD43CUN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Hereford Ethanol Partners, Hereford
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034091729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Caviness Beef Packing Ltd., Hereford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 31,869 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7904WCVNSS3255W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
White Energy - Hereford, Llc, Hereford
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035195614 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Tejas Industries, Hereford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds. 1,536 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7904WTJSND11MER (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Hereford Ethanol Partners, Hereford
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034091729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Pinnacle Premix, Hereford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Selenium compounds, Copper compounds, Cobalt compounds, Manganese compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 7904WPNNCL361FM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Pinnacle Premix, Llc, Hereford
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070864108 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Cargill Feed And Nutrition Hereford, Hereford
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071018584 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Compressor Station 169, Hereford
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007207101 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Dawn Corn Milling Facility, Dawn
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022940148 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Hereford Ethanol Partners, Hereford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034091729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Dawn Corn Milling Facility, Dawn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022940148 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Westway Feed Products Llc, Hereford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia.
TRI facility ID 79045WSTWYSKING (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Cargill Feed & Nutrition Hereford, Hereford
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 7904WCRGLL3735S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
White Energy - Hereford, Llc, Hereford
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035195614 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Hereford Muni, Hereford
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID HRX (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Sugarland Cattle Feeders, Hereford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030772493 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Crow Cattle, Hereford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071709621 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Cargill Animal Nutrition, Hereford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000497846 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Diamond Cattle Feeders, Hereford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020144501 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Owl Feedyard 1, Hereford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020144707 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Brown Cattle Feeders, Friona
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020144869 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Barrett Crofoot East, Hereford
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020146732 (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.

Deaf Smith County Jail, Hereford
EPA FRS registry ID
110070829730
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith 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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