TX / county FIPS 48141 / county research

El Paso County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in El Paso County is 131.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Stomach deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate and Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 2,011 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (1,181), Gas station (mapped facility) (200), Rail grade crossing (142). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 40 in a million, driven mainly by ethylene oxide.

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: 31.6939, -106.1716.

How this county ranks in Texas

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 El Paso 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	8.7	1.84xSignificant	14.8 to 17.2	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	4.6	2.7	1.7xSignificant	3.9 to 5.3	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	11	6.6	1.67xSignificant	10.1 to 12	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	5.2	3.4	1.53xSignificant	4.5 to 5.9	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	18.2	13	1.4xSignificant	16.9 to 19.5	2019-2023
Thyroid	Deaths	0.7	0.5	1.4x	0.5 to 1	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24	17.9	1.34xSignificant	22.5 to 25.5	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	20.2	16.4	1.23xSignificant	17.4 to 23.2	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	8.1	6.6	1.23xSignificant	7.2 to 9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.9	4.8	1.02x	4.3 to 5.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	10.7	11.3	0.95x	9.8 to 11.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	13	13.9	0.94x	11.9 to 14.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	131.3	143.2	0.92x	127.9 to 134.8	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.2	14.5	0.91x	12.1 to 14.3	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.6	6.2	0.9x	4.9 to 6.3	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	Deaths	1.7	1.9	0.89x	1 to 2.8	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	389.1	453.4	0.86x	383.1 to 395.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.6	18.5	0.84x	14.4 to 16.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	4.8	5.7	0.84x	4.1 to 5.5	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.4	4.4	0.77x	2.9 to 4	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	3.5	4.6	0.76x	2.9 to 4.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	2.3	3.7	0.62x	1.9 to 2.8	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	2.5	4.1	0.61x	2 to 3	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	11.2	18.7	0.6x	10.2 to 12.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	27.3	51.8	0.53x	25.7 to 28.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	15.6	30.2	0.52x	14.4 to 16.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	0.9	2	0.45x	0.7 to 1.3	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	5.1	23.8	0.21x	4.5 to 5.9	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 El Paso County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,159.7	9,842.6	-17%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.5	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	44.4	59.8	-26%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	4.6	6.2	-25%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	58.4	96.9	-40%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	16.7	28.6	-42%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 40 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Ethylene Oxide21.72 per million
Formaldehyde13.46 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.56 per million
Benzene1.37 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 66 good, 63 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 70, peak 2,122.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

2,011 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit1,181
Gas station (mapped facility)200
Rail grade crossing142
Small hazardous waste generator94
Air permit holder (minor source)67
Hazardous waste transporter63
Brownfield property60
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)54
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)28
Large hazardous waste generator22
Major air pollution source20
TRI reporting facility20
Scrapyard (mapped facility)16
EPA air quality monitor8
Heliport8
Large greenhouse gas emitter6
Gas power plant5
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)3
Landfill (mapped facility)3
Solar power plant3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Public airport2
Commercial airport2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)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.

El Paso Chamizal, El Paso
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 481410044 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 10
Ascarate Park SE, El Paso
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 481410055 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 10
Us Army 1st Armored Div & Fort Bliss Ranges, Fort Bliss
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Lead And Lead Compounds, Dinitrotoluene (mixed isomers), Phosphorus (yellow or white) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,002,983 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79916SRMYRTAYLO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.1
Western El Paso Refinery, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen cyanide, Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Hexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 635,770 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79905LPSRF6500T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Socorro Hueco, Socorro
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 481410057 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 8.5
Arcelormittal Vinton Inc, Vinton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000600154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Montana Power Station, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens. 31,851 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7993WMNTNP13511 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
El Paso Refinery, El Paso
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $6,225.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071719487 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
Vinton Steel Llc, Vinton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead, Manganese. Reports carcinogens. 6,783 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79912BRDRSVINTO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Phelps Dodge Copper Products Co, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper And Copper Compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Nickel compounds, Arsenic compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,655 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79915PHLPS897HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Us Army 1st Armored Div & Fort Bliss Ranges, El Paso
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001143414 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.7
Air System Components Inc, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers. 50,920 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79927RSYST12504 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Arcelormittal Vinton Inc, Vinton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000600154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Sw Foam, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene diisocyanate (mixed isomers). Reports carcinogens. 401 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79924GNFML9900R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Global Alternative Fuels Llc, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 27,145 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79922GLBLL35DNI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Dal-Tile El Paso Manufacturing, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen fluoride, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Zinc compounds. 24,491 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79934DLTLC12001 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Edusa Corp, Socorro
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038912709 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Msd Llc, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 187 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7993WMSDLL135PU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Isomedix Operations Inc., El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene oxide. Reports carcinogens. 174 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 79936SMDXN1435I (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Nexpera - Borderland Sar, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrogen sulfide, Ammonia. 8,854 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7990WDPNTX651TR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Arcelormittal Vinton Inc, Vinton
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000600154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Arcelormittal Vinton Inc, Vinton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000600154 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Schneider Electric, El Paso
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 71 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7991WSCHND161NR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Sw Foam, El Paso
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000502714 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
El Paso Division, El Paso
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033486699 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Federal Correctional Institution La Tuna, Anthony
EPA FRS registry ID
110006456628
Water system
TX0710076
Health-based violations
3 all time, 1 in 5 years
All violations
53
Contaminants cited
Coliform (TCR), LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for El Paso 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 El Paso 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.

Scan an address in El Paso County View on the heat map All Texas counties