Cherokee, KS
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology.
Environmental data for Cherokee in Kansas · Population: 19,236
TRI sites such as Jayhawk Fine Chemicals Corp; Atec Steel Fabrication & Construction LLC; Kemlee Manufacturing Inc; SDWIS systems such as BAXTER SPRINGS, CITY OF; COLUMBUS, CITY OF; GALENA, CITY OF; NPL sites such as Cherokee County; Cherokee Zinc - Weir Smelter anchor Cherokee, KS's EPA extract. Derived burden score 44/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Cherokee include BAXTER SPRINGS, CITY OF; CHETOPA, CITY OF; PUBLIC WHOLESALE WSD 19, while Jayhawk Fine Chemicals Corp leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. No AQS county monitors report here.
Burden score 44/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Cherokee -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Cherokee, KS: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
+83.8%
5 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
+83.8%
86.4 thousand lb → 158.8 thousand lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 0 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Cherokee, KS's total reported releases rose from 86.4 thousand lb in 2022 to 158.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Cherokee, KS's off-site transfers rose from 63.0 thousand lb in 2022 to 124.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Cherokee, KS's air releases rose from 23.4 thousand lb in 2022 to 34.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Cherokee, KS's chemicals reported fell from 30 in 2022 to 28 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Water Systems (14)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| BAXTER SPRINGS, CITY OF | 3,852 | 20 |
| COLUMBUS, CITY OF | 2,882 | 0 |
| GALENA, CITY OF | 2,743 | 0 |
| CHEROKEE CO RWD 3 | 1,900 | 0 |
| CHEROKEE CO RWD 4 | 1,500 | 0 |
| CHEROKEE CO RWD 8 | 1,235 | 0 |
| CHEROKEE CO RWD 2 | 943 | 0 |
| CHETOPA, CITY OF | 921 | 12 |
| CHEROKEE CO RWD 9 | 900 | 0 |
| WEIR, CITY OF | 566 | 0 |
| SCAMMON, CITY OF | 370 | 0 |
| WEST MINERAL, CITY OF | 150 | 0 |
| ROSELAND, CITY OF | 73 | 0 |
| PUBLIC WHOLESALE WSD 19 | 1 | 5 |
TRI Facilities (6)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jayhawk Fine Chemicals Corp | 612.6K lbs |
| 2 | Atec Steel Fabrication & Construction LLC | 62 lbs |
| 3 | Kemlee Manufacturing Inc | 29 lbs |
| 4 | Pbi/gordon Corp - Jayhawk Facility | 0 lbs |
| 5 | Butterball LLC | 0 lbs |
| 6 | Plant 5 - PORT-0811 - Baxter Springs | 0 lbs |
Superfund Sites (2)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County | NPL Site | 58.15 |
| Cherokee Zinc - Weir Smelter | NPL Site | 51.78 |
Cities in Cherokee (10)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Cherokee, Kansas? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Cherokee? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Cherokee? ▼
What is the air quality in Cherokee? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Cherokee? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Cherokee? ▼
What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.