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Yoakum County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Yoakum County is 174.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 57 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Major air pollution source (12), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (11), 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: 33.1946, -102.8276.

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 Yoakum County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	174.8	143.2	1.22x	133.6 to 224.6	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	492.9	453.4	1.09x	423.1 to 571	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 Yoakum County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,473.7	9,842.6	+27%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.1	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	92.5	96.9	-5%	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 per million
Benzene4.33 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.62 per million
Acetaldehyde0.92 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Major air pollution source12
NPDES wastewater discharge permit11
Gas station (mapped facility)7
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Air permit holder (minor source)4
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Small hazardous waste generator3
Gas power plant3
Public airport2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Brownfield property1

Highest-severity records

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

Oxy Permian - Denver Unit Co2 Recovery Plant, Denver City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Methanol, Benzene, Ethylene glycol and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 17,738 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7932WXYPRMPBX16 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Oxy Permian - Willard Separation Plant, Denver City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Cyclohexane, Toluene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 17,472 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7932WXYPRMPBX99 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Oxy Permian - Wasson Co2 Removal Plant, Denver City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Toluene, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 15,652 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7932WXYPRMPBX12 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Championx-Denver City, Denver City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Methanol, Ammonia, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 10,725 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7932WNLCDN241NR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Multi-Chem Group Denver City Tx Facility, Denver City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, n-Hexane, Ethylene glycol and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,394 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7932WMLTCH1656C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Oxy Permian - Willard Separation Plant, Denver City
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $94,316.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055499722 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Wasson Co2 Removal Plant, Denver City
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $30,630.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012182422 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Nalco Denver City, Denver City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060258778 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Oxy Permian - Denver Unit Co2 Recovery Plant, Denver City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055499713 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Multi-Chem Group Denver City Tx Facility, Denver City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055499697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Wasson Co2 Removal Plant, Denver City
Major air pollution source. Penalties $30,630.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012182422 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Mustang Station Units 4, 5 & 6, Denver City
Major air pollution source. Penalties $5,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031504959 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Oxy Permian - Willard Separation Plant, Denver City
Major air pollution source. Penalties $94,316.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055499722 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Bowers Facility, Plains
Major air pollution source. Penalties $69,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070836798 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Miss Kitty Facility Site, Plains
Major air pollution source. Penalties $9,113.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071498722 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Campo Viejo Gas Processing Plant, Plains
Major air pollution source. Penalties $272,656.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071356646 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Wasson Co2 Removal Plant, Denver City
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $30,630.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012182422 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Mustang Station Units 4, 5 & 6, Denver City
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $5,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031504959 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
El Paso Natural Gas - Plains Compressor Station, Plains
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007202918 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Wasson Pumping Station, Denver City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007207307 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Sable San Andres Unit, Plains
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031222200 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Campo Viejo Gas Processing Plant, Plains
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070385361 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Cleveland Double Down Facility Site, Plains
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071468287 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Rpc Power, Plains
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071722778 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Plains Texas Ii Facility, Plains
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071722779 (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 Yoakum 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 Yoakum 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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