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Ward County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Ward County is 168.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 146 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (45), Rail grade crossing (23), Major air pollution source (22). 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: 31.4578, -103.1285.

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 Ward County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	43.2	30.2	1.43x	27.7 to 64.2	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	168.8	143.2	1.18x	136.3 to 206.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	48.9	51.8	0.94x	32.6 to 70.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	419.1	453.4	0.92x	366.7 to 476.9	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 Ward County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,790.1	9,842.6	+30%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.3	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	74.9	59.8	+25%	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	105.2	96.9	+9%	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.

Formaldehyde15.53 per million
Benzene2.91 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.68 per million
Acetaldehyde0.88 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit45
Rail grade crossing23
Major air pollution source22
Air permit holder (minor source)19
Gas station (mapped facility)17
Small hazardous waste generator5
TRI reporting facility4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Public airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Gas 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.

Bone Springs Gas Plant, Barstow
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Benzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 15,723 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7971WBNSSP8912F (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Championx-Monahans 0438, Monahans
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Methanol, Ethylbenzene, Ammonia and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 7,977 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7975WNLCCM1512W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Mi Vida Treater Plant, Barstow
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Toluene, Formaldehyde and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 6,811 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7971WMVDTRFRBAR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Halliburton Monahans Baroid, Monahans
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, Lead And Lead Compounds, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Naphthalene and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 362 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7975WHLLBR4NRTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Mi Vida Treater Plant, Barstow
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015744541 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Nalco Monahans Warehouse, Monahans
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070348241 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Bones Springs Plant, Barstow
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071159588 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Halliburton Monahans Baroid, Monahans
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071284324 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Oxy Collie Treater Station, Barstow
Major air pollution source. Penalties $11,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070102345 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Monahans Compressor Station, Wickett
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005044353 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Compressor Station No 145, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007205933 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
El Paso Field Services, L.P., Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010499825 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Monahans No 1 Comp Stn, Monahans
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012628987 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Western Pyote Compressor Station, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015743230 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Mi Vida Treater Plant, Barstow
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015744541 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Permian Basin Steam Electric Station, Monahans
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028051186 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
South Pyote Compressor Station, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033181447 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Block 16 Green Plant, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033247859 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Gulf States Comp Station, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038460545 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bones Compressor Station, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041722687 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Pioneer Compressor Station, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045439021 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Village Farms, Monahans
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070178183 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Everest Central Production Facility, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070520752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Monahans North Compressor Station, Monahans
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070836797 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Carson Production Pad, Pyote
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071241199 (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 Ward 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 Ward 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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