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Knox County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Knox County is 222.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 29 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (16), Public airport (3), Gas station (mapped facility) (3). 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: 33.6008, -99.7336.

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 Knox County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	222.1	143.2	1.55xSignificant	165.1 to 294.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	79.8	51.8	1.54x	47.4 to 128.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	471.3	453.4	1.04x	381.4 to 577.2	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 Knox County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,275.9	9,842.6	+35%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71	75.3	-6%	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	96.5	96.9	-1%	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.

Formaldehyde15.7 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.8 per million
Acetaldehyde1.13 per million
Benzene0.7 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit16
Public airport3
Gas station (mapped facility)3
Wind power plant3
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Major air pollution source1
Small hazardous waste generator1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Four Sixes 6666 Ranch Compressor Station, Knox City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035782141 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
City Of Goree Wwtp, Goree
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $19,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009779338 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Munday Muni, Munday
Public airport. O.
Record ID 37F (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Harrison Fld Of Knox City, Knox City
Public airport. O.
Record ID F75 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
City Of Munday Wwtp, Munday
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009771924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
City Of Knox City Wwtp, Knox City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010121698 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Ras Trucking, Munday
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008166518 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Knox City Bpc, Knox City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070356446 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Truscott To Benjamin Tap T-Line Rebuild, Truscott
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070377493 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Knox County Rural Wsc Waterline Improvements, Knox City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070386629 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Portable Asphalt Plant 5, Goree
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070528424 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Us 82 500 West Of Sh 6 To King County Line, Benjamin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070563473 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Benjamin Yard, Benjamin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070621850 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Griffin Trail Wind Project, Benjamin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070831080 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Txdot Chs Us82 013303038, Vera
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070865091 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Benjamin Isd New Football Field And Track, Benjamin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070937854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Txdot Chs Sh6 009805034, Benjamin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071370897 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Txdot Chs Sh6 009804036, Benjamin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071371123 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Ett 345kv Joule Switchyard, Munday
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072109488 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Zss Solar, Munday
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072147570 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Koch Pipeline Co., Katz Station, Knox City
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110010643982 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Duininck Bros Plant 9, Texas
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110018864727 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Ranchland
Gas station (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/915901601 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 1
Alon
Gas station (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/954090624 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 1
Penman's
Gas station (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/954090635 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 1

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 Knox 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 Knox 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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