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Wilbarger County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Wilbarger County is 166.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 98 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (39), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (32), Gas station (mapped facility) (7). 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: 34.1394, -99.214.

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 Wilbarger County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	34.7	17.9	1.94xSignificant	22 to 52.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	22.2	14.5	1.53x	12.8 to 36	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	30	23.8	1.26x	18.6 to 45.9	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	166.4	143.2	1.16x	139.7 to 197.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	30.3	30.2	1x	19.5 to 45.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	433.8	453.4	0.96x	389.1 to 482.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	42.9	51.8	0.83x	30 to 59.9	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 Wilbarger County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,359.3	9,842.6	+36%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	71.4	75.3	-5%	years
Child mortality	137.2	59.8	+130%	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	91.5	96.9	-6%	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.

Formaldehyde16.29 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.83 per million
Acetaldehyde1.13 per million
Benzene0.61 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing39
NPDES wastewater discharge permit32
Gas station (mapped facility)7
Public airport3
Wind power plant3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Major air pollution source2
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
TRI reporting facility2
Small hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Battery storage 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.

American Electric Power Oklaunion Plant, Vernon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Manganese compounds, Hydrogen fluoride and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 169,759 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76384KLNNP12567 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Solvay Usa Llc, Vernon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene oxide. Reports carcinogens. 6,671 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76384HTKPL201HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats Inc, Vernon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Sodium nitrite. 13,487 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76384TYSNP7WHEE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Rhodia Inc. Vernon, Texas Facility, Vernon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000460144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
City Of Vernon Wwtp, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001855467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
American Electric Power Oklaunion Plant, Vernon
Major air pollution source. Penalties $3,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000460153 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
American Electric Power Oklaunion Plant, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000460153 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats, Vernon, Tx, Vernon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031000574 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Rhodia Inc. Vernon, Texas Facility, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000460144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Vernon Power Station, Vernon
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070232630 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Vernon Quarry, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070360785 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
American Electric Power Oklaunion Plant, Vernon
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $3,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000460153 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
North Texas State Hospital Vernon Campus South, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $21,937.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010121750 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Vernon Nitrate Treatment Plant, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037536716 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Wilbarger County, Vernon
Public airport. O.
Record ID F05 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Rhodia Inc. Vernon, Texas Facility, Vernon
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110000460144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Blue Summit Ii, White City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071885188 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Vernon Farm, Chillicothe
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024822469 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Vernon Wwtp, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110034887781 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Wilbarger County Airport, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035172345 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Ok Concrete Plant 4 Vernon, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037517229 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Wfs Csj 0124-04-031 Stp 2017 141, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070191456 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Kinlau Sheet Metal Works, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070357331 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Blue Summit Ii Wind, North Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070362004 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Ups Vernon, Vernon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070374603 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

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 Wilbarger 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 Wilbarger 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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