PlainEnviro

Columbia, AR

Moderate Risk (42/100)

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. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.

Environmental data for Columbia in Arkansas · Population: 22,527

TRI sites such as Lanxess - West Plant; Albemarle Corp South Plant; Potlatchdeltic Manufacturing LLC - Waldo Mill; SDWIS systems such as LAKESIDE WATER ASSOCIATION; WALDO WATERWORKS; EMERSON WATERWORKS anchor Columbia, AR's EPA extract. Derived burden score 42/100 (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 Columbia include LAKESIDE WATER ASSOCIATION; WALDO WATERWORKS; WALKERVILLE WATER ASSOCIATION, while Lanxess - West Plant leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. No AQS county monitors report here.

Burden score 42/100 (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 Columbia -- 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 Columbia, AR: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

-6.2%

10 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

-6.2%

888.0 thousand lb → 832.6 thousand lb, every facility that filed

  • Columbia, AR's total reported releases fell from 888.0 thousand lb in 2022 to 832.6 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Columbia, AR's air releases fell from 416.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 380.0 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Columbia, AR's land releases fell from 451.1 thousand lb in 2022 to 432.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Columbia, AR's chemicals reported fell from 34 in 2022 to 33 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
22,527
TRI Facilities
11
Water Systems
7
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
4.9M lbs

Water Systems (7)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
LAKESIDE WATER ASSOCIATION 1,876 78
WALDO WATERWORKS 1,630 6
EMERSON WATERWORKS 1,145 0
MC NEIL RURAL WATER ASSOC 900 0
WALKERVILLE WATER ASSOCIATION 547 3
MC NEIL WATERWORKS 515 6
VILLAGE WATER ASSOCIATION 412 0

TRI Facilities (11)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Lanxess - West Plant 2.4M lbs
2 Albemarle Corp South Plant 1.8M lbs
3 Potlatchdeltic Manufacturing LLC - Waldo Mill 214.0K lbs
4 Weyerhaeuser Nr Co-Emerson Plywood 158.4K lbs
5 Albemarle Corp West Plant 128.4K lbs
6 Ludwig Inc 105.4K lbs
7 American Fuel Cells & Coated Fabrics (amfuel) 89.5K lbs
8 Solimide Foams 33.0K lbs
9 Cmc Steel Fabricators Inc. DBA Cmc Steel Arkansas 668 lbs
10 Red River Ready Mix LLC 0 lbs
11 Hixson Lumber Co LLC 0 lbs

Cities in Columbia (5)

Magnolia
8 facilities · 3 water
Waldo
2 facilities · 2 water
Emerson
1 facilities · 2 water
Mc Neil
0 facilities · 2 water
Village
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Columbia, Arkansas? ▼
Columbia, AR has an environmental risk score of 42/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 11 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 7 water systems on record. 4 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Columbia? ▼
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Columbia, AR in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Columbia? ▼
Columbia, AR has 11 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 4.9M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Columbia? ▼
Air quality monitoring data (EPA AQS) is not available for Columbia, AR. This may indicate no EPA monitoring stations are located in the county. For regional air quality data, see the state environmental profile or visit EPA's AirNow.gov.
Is the drinking water safe in Columbia? ▼
Columbia, AR has 7 EPA-regulated water systems. 4 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Columbia? ▼
Environmental compliance in Columbia, Arkansas is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Arkansas state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

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.

Related Guides

Understanding EPA Data
How EPA collects and publishes environmental data
Environmental Justice
Who lives near polluters and environmental hazards
How to Check Environmental Quality
Step-by-step guide to checking your local environment

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro