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Walker County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Walker County is 139.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 467 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (366), Rail grade crossing (34), Gas station (mapped facility) (29). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 40 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: 30.7849, -95.5931.

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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 Walker County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	New cases	19.4	8.7	2.23xSignificant	15.5 to 23.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	9.6	6.6	1.45xSignificant	6.9 to 13.2	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	7.4	5.7	1.3x	4.9 to 10.8	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	18.5	14.5	1.28x	14.3 to 23.6	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4.2	3.7	1.14x	2.5 to 6.8	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	20.9	18.5	1.13x	16.7 to 25.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	21	18.7	1.12x	16.8 to 25.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	15.4	13.9	1.11x	11.9 to 19.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.3	4.8	1.1x	3.2 to 8.2	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	4.2	4.1	1.02x	2.4 to 6.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	454.8	453.4	1x	434.4 to 475.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.3	11.3	1x	8.3 to 15.1	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	6.6	6.6	1x	4.4 to 9.7	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.1	6.2	0.98x	3.8 to 9.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	139.9	143.2	0.98x	128.6 to 151.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	29.2	30.2	0.97x	24.3 to 35	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.1	17.9	0.96x	13.4 to 21.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	48.2	51.8	0.93x	41.8 to 55.4	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.9	4.4	0.89x	2.3 to 6.3	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	3.6	4.6	0.78x	2 to 6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	18.3	23.8	0.77x	14.4 to 23.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	8.8	13	0.68x	6.1 to 12.3	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 Walker County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,100.7	9,842.6	-18%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.6	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	71.9	59.8	+20%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.5	6.2	+5%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	57.1	96.9	-41%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	10.9	28.6	-62%	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.

Formaldehyde25.12 per million
Ethylene Oxide2.9 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.88 per million
Acetaldehyde1.95 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit366
Rail grade crossing34
Gas station (mapped facility)29
Air permit holder (minor source)8
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
Small hazardous waste generator5
Public airport4
TRI reporting facility4
Major air pollution source2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Hazardous waste transporter2
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)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.

Gardner Glass Products Inc, Huntsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, n-Butyl alcohol. Reports carcinogens. 41,292 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 77340GRDNRHWY75 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Liquid Minerals Group New Waverly Plant, Huntsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene. Reports carcinogens. 2,064 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7735WLQDMN37FM2 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Gardner Glass Products, Huntsville
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $62,950.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059227000 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Ufp-New Waverly, New Waverly
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $10,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599317 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Tdcj Ellis Unit, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $12,375.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000619732 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Weatherford International Huntsville Manufacturing, Huntsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 158 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7734WWTHRF7587H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Exxonmobil Huntsville Polyolefin Thermoset Resin Plant, Huntsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Dicyclopentadiene, Diisocyanates. 2,550 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 77340MTRNC7629S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
City Of Huntsville, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $40,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000506382 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Robinson Creek Wwtp, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $41,700.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009747827 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Tdcj Estelle Unit, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009775733 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Materia, Huntsville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012555939 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Weatherford International Huntsville Manufacturing, Huntsville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006130356 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Forest Glen Wwtf, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $18,687.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009778008 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Gardner Glass Products, Huntsville
Major air pollution source. Penalties $62,950.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059227000 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ufp-New Waverly, New Waverly
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599317 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Smith Cbp No 1, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071436698 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Gardner Glass Products, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $62,950.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059227000 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ufp-New Waverly, New Waverly
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $10,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599317 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Aj Brown Parker Creek Wwtf, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064595326 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Materia, Huntsville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012555939 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Txi-Huntsville Ready Mix, Huntsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead compounds.
TRI facility ID 7734WTXHNT51CHA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.1
Materia, Huntsville
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012555939 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Materia, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012555939 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Estates Of Texas Grand Ranch, Huntsville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,001.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071426970 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Ufp New Waverly, New Waverly
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Sodium nitrite.
TRI facility ID 77358NVRSLHWY75 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 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 Walker 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 Walker 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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