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Leon County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Leon County is 178.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 171 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (72), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (44), Gas station (mapped facility) (22). 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: 31.3142, -95.9966.

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 Leon County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	32.6	17.9	1.82xSignificant	22.1 to 46.7	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	29.9	18.7	1.6xSignificant	21.5 to 41.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	9.6	6.6	1.45x	5.5 to 16.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	12.4	8.7	1.43x	7.5 to 20.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	20.4	14.5	1.41x	13.4 to 30.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	15	11.3	1.33x	8.4 to 25	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	31	23.8	1.3x	20.5 to 45.2	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	178.7	143.2	1.25xSignificant	155.6 to 204.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	64.5	51.8	1.25xSignificant	52.2 to 79.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36	30.2	1.19x	27.1 to 47.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	521.4	453.4	1.15xSignificant	479.3 to 566.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.1	13.9	1.01x	7.7 to 24.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14	18.5	0.76x	7.9 to 23.5	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 Leon County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,443.6	9,842.6	+26%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.3	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	78.5	59.8	+31%	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	119.8	96.9	+24%	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.

Formaldehyde23.57 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.89 per million
Acetaldehyde1.88 per million
Ethylene Oxide0.97 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing72
NPDES wastewater discharge permit44
Gas station (mapped facility)22
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
Public airport8
TRI reporting facility5
Major air pollution source3
Air permit holder (minor source)3
Large hazardous waste generator2
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

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

Limestone Electric Generating Station, Jewett
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Manganese compounds, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Vanadium compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 6,225,020 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 75846LMSTNFM39A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.7
Nucor Steel - Jewett Texas Div, Jewett
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Zinc compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 65,913 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 75846NCRSTHWY79 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Multi-Chem Group Marquez Tx Facility, Marquez
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Ethylene glycol and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 12,572 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7786WHLLBR112SV (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Sun Coast Resources Llc, Buffalo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Benzene, n-Hexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,433 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7583WSNCST11SBU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Texas Miscellaneous Iron, Oakwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper, Nickel, Chromium and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 70 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7585WTXSMS491WU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Nucor Steel Texas, Jewett
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008148575 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Long Industries Buffalo Facility, Buffalo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 35 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7583WLNGND15FCR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Halliburton Marquez, Tx Facility, Marquez
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071284126 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
City Of Jewett, Jewett
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,875.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009777704 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
City Of Marquez Wwtp, Marquez
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $103,088.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010921422 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Buffalo Wwtp, Buffalo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039863699 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
City Of Normangee Wwtf, Normangee
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $32,062.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028302977 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Championx-Centerville, Centerville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, Toluene, Ethylene glycol and 2 more. 195 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 75833CHMPN1182E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.8
Texas Miscellaneous Iron, Oakwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070943608 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Yellow Rose Travel Plaza Wtp, Normangee
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037880807 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Ridley Block Operations, Buffalo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031020231 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Leon Isd Wwtp, Jewett
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064630261 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Sun Coast Resources, Buffalo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070170126 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Limestone Electric Generating Station, Limestone County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064421317 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Nucor Steel Texas, Jewett
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008148575 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Dowdy Ranch Central Gathering Facility, Dew
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034626322 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Jewett Lignite Surface Mine, Jewett
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034724252 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Buffalo Plant 30, Buffalo
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070100269 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
City Of Oakwood Wwtp, Oakwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009772754 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Overton Fisheries, Buffalo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067188527 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3

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 Leon 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 Leon 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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