Cowley, KS

Moderate Risk (44/100)

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 Cowley in Kansas · Population: 34,487

TRI sites such as Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC; Greif Industrial Packaging & Services; General Electric Aviation; SDWIS systems such as ARKANSAS CITY, CITY OF; WINFIELD, CITY OF; COWLEY CO RWD 3; NPL sites such as Arkansas City Dump; Strother Field Industrial Park anchor Cowley, 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 Cowley include ARKANSAS CITY, CITY OF; BURDEN, CITY OF; DEXTER, CITY OF, while Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC 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 Cowley -- 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 Cowley, KS: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

-23.5%

4 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

-23.5%

1.7 million lb → 1.3 million lb, every facility that filed

  • Cowley, KS's total reported releases fell from 1.7 million lb in 2022 to 1.3 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Cowley, KS's land releases fell from 15 lb in 2022 to 0 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Cowley, KS's air releases fell from 64.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 36.3 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Cowley, KS's off-site transfers rose from 8.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 12.2 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
34,487
TRI Facilities
7
Water Systems
16
Superfund Sites
2
Total Releases
6.5M lbs

Water Systems (16)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
ARKANSAS CITY, CITY OF 11,929 1
WINFIELD, CITY OF 11,726 0
COWLEY CO RWD 3 2,500 0
COWLEY CO RWD 5 2,000 0
COWLEY CO RWD 1 1,500 0
SUMNER CO RWD 4 1,157 0
COWLEY CO RWD 6 792 0
UDALL, CITY OF 658 0
COWLEY CO RWD 2 600 0
BURDEN, CITY OF 514 2
COWLEY CO RWD 4 500 0
COWLEY CO RWD 7 300 0
DEXTER, CITY OF 226 1
ATLANTA, CITY OF 169 0
CAMBRIDGE, CITY OF 92 0
COWLEY CO RWD 8 50 0

TRI Facilities (7)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC 6.3M lbs
2 Greif Industrial Packaging & Services 131.5K lbs
3 General Electric Aviation 21.9K lbs
4 General Electric Aviation 4.3K lbs
5 Western Industries Plastic Products LLC 446 lbs
6 Rubbermaid 0 lbs
7 Winfield Ks Stockpile 0 lbs

Superfund Sites (2)

Site Name Status HRS Score
Arkansas City Dump Deleted NPL Site 0.00
Strother Field Industrial Park NPL Site 33.62

Cities in Cowley (8)

Winfield
6 facilities · 5 water
Arkansas City
1 facilities · 5 water
Burden
0 facilities · 2 water
Atlanta
0 facilities · 1 water
Cambridge
0 facilities · 1 water
Dexter
0 facilities · 1 water
Udall
0 facilities · 1 water
Cowley County
0 facilities · 0 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Cowley, Kansas?
Cowley, KS has an environmental risk score of 44/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 7 TRI facilities, 2 Superfund sites, and 16 water systems on record. 3 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Cowley?
Yes, Cowley, KS has 2 Superfund sites on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL). Superfund sites are contaminated locations that require long-term cleanup under the EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
How many toxic release facilities are in Cowley?
Cowley, KS has 7 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 6.5M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Cowley?
Air quality monitoring data (EPA AQS) is not available for Cowley, KS. 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 Cowley?
Cowley, KS has 16 EPA-regulated water systems. 3 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 Cowley?
Environmental compliance in Cowley, Kansas is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Kansas 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

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro