Contaminant 0300
Unresolved Long Term 1 Enhanced SWTR violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 0300).
City · TRI 2024
Paris, Kentucky Pollution
4 TRI facilities inside the city limits and 1 public water system serving residents. In-city TRI releases fell sharply year over year (-68%). Toxic releases concentrations are up 41% since 2010.
FIPS 2159196 · population 10,143 · Bourbon County
Anomaly engine
Notable Signals
Contaminant 0300
Long Term 1 Enhanced SWTR health-based violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 0300).
Pollutant pathways
Paris Pollutant Multi-Year Trends
Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold))Health riskEPA-modeled added cancer cases per million residents from a lifetime of breathing local air toxics. EPA flags 100-in-a-million as elevated.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Formaldehyde ambient mean (0.077 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic emitted by refineries, wood products, and combustion. EPA classifies it as a known human carcinogen — long-term inhalation raises cancer risk.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Benzene ambient mean (0.13 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic from gasoline, refineries, and tobacco smoke. A known human carcinogen — chronic exposure is linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as released into the air — fugitive leaks plus smokestack emissions. Higher pounds means more inhaled exposure for nearby residents.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
TRI water releases (5.3)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as discharged to surface waters (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Affects fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.
TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
TRI land + off-site releasesHealth riskToxic chemicals released to land on-site or transferred off-site for disposal — landfills, deep-well injection, and similar. Risks groundwater contamination over time.
TRI land + off-site releases concentrations have more than doubled since 2010.
Top facilities · TRI 2024
Largest Emitters Inside The City
| Facility | Top chemical | Total releases | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avantor Performance MaterialsAvantor Performance Materials INC | Zinc compoundsHealth riskGenerally low acute toxicity. Chronic high-dose exposure disrupts copper absorption and immune function. (ATSDR) | 50k lb | -75% |
| Kentucky Smelting TechnologyToyota Tsusho America INC | CopperHealth riskInhaled copper fumes cause metal-fume fever; chronic ingestion above EPA's 1.3 mg/L action level damages the liver. (EPA) | 9k lb | -8% |
| Central Motor Wheel Of America (Dba Cmwa) | TolueneHealth riskCentral-nervous-system depressant. Chronic high exposure causes hearing loss and developmental effects. (EPA, ATSDR) | 8k lb | -22% |
| Itw Commercial Construction N.A.Illinois Tool Works INC | Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution)Health riskDrinking-water nitrate causes methemoglobinemia ('blue-baby syndrome') in infants; EPA MCL is 10 mg/L as N. (EPA) | 5k lb | +226% |
Drinking water · SDWIS
Water Systems Serving Paris
1 unresolved violation on the SDWIS record across utilities serving this city.
1
Utilities serving
14,139
Population served
4
Health-based · 5yr
1
Unresolved
| Water system | PWSID | Population served | Health-based · 5yr | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Water Works Municipal | KY0090343 | 14,139 | 4 | UNRESOLVED |
A public water systemis the regulated entity, not the city. EPA's SDWIS definition covers anything serving 25+ people for 60+ days a year or with 15+ service connections — that includes municipal utilities (City of Stockton), water districts, mobile home parks operating their own wells, schools, and small private subdivisions. Each system is independently monitored. Some systems serve multiple cities; some cities are served by many systems.
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Paris
Paris, Kentucky (Census place block groups): 10,143 residents. City disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits below the reference (59). Why we surface this →
19.9%
Low-income
17.1%
People of color
4.5%
Under age 5
16.0%
Over age 64
- PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.48near the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.31below the national median
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.62above the national median
- Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.41near the national median
- Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.51near the national median
- Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.18below the national median
- Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.70above the national median
- Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.56near the national median
- RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.53near the national median
- Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.39below the national median
- Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.69above the national median
- NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.33below the national median
- Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.76above the national median
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 59 | below the reference |
| Ozone | 60 | below the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 73 | below the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 50 | below the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 56 | below the reference |
| Traffic proximity | 25 | well below the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 75 | below the reference |
| Superfund site proximity | 0 | well below the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 66 | below the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 49 | well below the reference |
| Underground storage tanks | 62 | below the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 40 | well below the reference |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 0 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System · retrieved 2026-05-07.