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Karnes County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Karnes County is 155.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 161 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (46), Air permit holder (minor source) (42), Major air pollution source (32). 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: 28.9475, -97.9006.

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 Karnes County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	30.5	17.9	1.7xSignificant	19.5 to 45.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	155.6	143.2	1.09x	129.6 to 185.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	29.5	30.2	0.98x	19.2 to 43.7	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	382	453.4	0.84x	340 to 427.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	36.7	51.8	0.71x	25.2 to 52.1	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 Karnes County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,309.9	9,842.6	-5%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74.1	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	82.3	59.8	+38%	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	74.6	96.9	-23%	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.

Formaldehyde24.5 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.87 per million
Benzene2.32 per million
Acetaldehyde1.35 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 356 days: 356 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 6, peak 32.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit46
Air permit holder (minor source)42
Major air pollution source32
Gas station (mapped facility)15
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
Public airport4
Large hazardous waste generator4
TRI reporting facility4
Small hazardous waste generator3
Hazardous waste transporter2
EPA air quality monitor1
Heliport1
Solar 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.

Red Ewald Llc, Karnes City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 115,155 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 78118RDWLDRTE18 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Eog Resources Inc. Milton Hub, Karnes City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Methanol, n-Hexane, Benzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 32,115 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7811WGRSRCINTER (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Eog Resources Inc Lyssy Hub, Hobson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Toluene, Benzene, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 31,350 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7811WLYSSY22MIL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Ashland Specialty Ingredients G.P., Kenedy
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene oxide, Methylene bromide, Certain glycol ethers. Reports carcinogens. 29,750 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 78119QLNCM1MILL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Maverick Maintenance & Supply Llc, Karnes City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 25,433 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 78118WSHRT321MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Kenedy Gas Plant, Karnes City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Ethylene glycol. Reports carcinogens. 12,000 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7811WKNDYG58CUN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Red Ewald, Karnes City
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $11,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599736 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.2
Eog Resources, Inc., Milton Hub, Gillett
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060266288 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Hercules Inc An Aqualon Div, Kenedy
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000464514 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Market Street Plant, Karnes City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001868122 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Red Ewald, Karnes City
Major air pollution source. Penalties $11,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599736 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Riddleville Plant, Karnes City
Major air pollution source. Penalties $3,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000464505 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
City Of Karnes City, Karnes City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006801041 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
West Karnes Central Facility, Karnes City
Major air pollution source. Penalties $35,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070161978 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Georg Ef Nos 18h 19h And 20h Production Facility, Gillett
Major air pollution source. Penalties $50,238.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070520592 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Riddleville Plant, Karnes City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000464505 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Market Street Plant, Karnes City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001868122 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Burnell Compressor Station, Gillett
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007197087 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Tejas Gas Corporation, Runge
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007206264 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Compressor Station 552, Kenedy
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012587049 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Crp B Cdp No 2 Compressor Station, Runge
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039118157 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Sw Kenedy Facility, Kenedy
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045943976 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Area 71 Cgp Facility, Kenedy
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054882203 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Cinco Natural Resources Corporation, Texas
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054889581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Area 61 Cgp Facility, Kenedy
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054890971 (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 Karnes 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 Karnes 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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