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Limestone County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Limestone County is 171.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 152 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (74), Rail grade crossing (40), Air permit holder (minor source) (8). 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: 31.511, -96.5478.

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 Limestone County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	39.9	30.2	1.32xSignificant	31 to 51	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.9	17.9	1.22x	14.3 to 32.2	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	171.5	143.2	1.2xSignificant	151.9 to 193.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	59.5	51.8	1.15x	48.2 to 73	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.8	8.7	1.01x	5 to 14.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	14.6	14.5	1.01x	9 to 22.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	455.8	453.4	1.01x	420.8 to 493.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	18.3	18.7	0.98x	12.2 to 26.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	10.4	18.5	0.56x	5.9 to 17.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	10.3	23.8	0.43x	5.9 to 17.1	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 Limestone County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,929	9,842.6	+21%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.6	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	85.7	59.8	+43%	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	89	96.9	-8%	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.

Formaldehyde22.1 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.88 per million
Benzidine2.7 per million
Acetaldehyde1.69 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit74
Rail grade crossing40
Air permit holder (minor source)8
Major air pollution source7
Gas station (mapped facility)6
TRI reporting facility4
Brownfield property2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Coal 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.

Limestone Electric Generating Station, Jewett
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $5,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000608245 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Limestone, Jewett
Coal power plant.
Record ID 298 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 7.7
Carry-On Trailer Corp, Mexia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Manganese, Nickel, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 12,211 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76667CRRYN931IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
City Of Thornton Wwtp, Thornton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $4,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009746631 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Us Silica Kosse Plant, Kosse
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007180772 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Mexia State Supported Living Center Wwtp, Mexia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $24,750.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010923359 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Carry-On Trailer Corp, Mexia
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015679522 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Groesbeck Ready Mix, Groesbeck
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 7664WGRSBC38WES (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Limestone Electric Generating Station, Jewett
Major air pollution source. Penalties $5,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000608245 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Us Silica Kosse Plant, Kosse
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007180772 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Groesbeck Wwtp, Groesbeck
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $28,687.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009746329 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
City Of Coolidge Wwtf, Coolidge
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031275037 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Limestone Electric Generating Station, Jewett
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000608245 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Texas Emc Products, Jewett
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034274005 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Groesbeck Ready Mix, Groesbeck
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070071136 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Limestone Electric Generating Station, Jewett
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $5,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000608245 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Republic Services - Mexia Landfill, Mexia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007019047 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Rothermel Compressor, Groesbeck
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007180996 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Groesbeck Compressor Station, Groesbeck
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009503313 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
City Of Kosse Wwtp, Kosse
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009747569 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Lide Industries Mexia, Mexia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022523884 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Farrar Field, Donie
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030492072 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Kosse Lignite Mining Area, Kosse
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033717271 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Nse Lonestar - Limestone, Kosse
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071237103 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Mexia Wwtp, Mexia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010121661 (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 Limestone 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 Limestone 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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