Independence, AR

Moderate Risk (45/100)

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 Independence in Arkansas · Population: 38,120

TRI sites such as Independence Steam Electric Station; Futurefuel Chemical Co; Ozark Mountain Poultry Batesville Processing; SDWIS systems such as SOUTHSIDE PUB WATER AUTHORITY; ROCK MOORE WATER AUTHORITY; PFEIFFER WATER AUTHORITY anchor Independence, AR's EPA extract. Derived burden score 45/100 (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 Independence include PFEIFFER WATER AUTHORITY; CUSHMAN WATER SYSTEM; OZARK ACRES WATER ASSOCIATION, while Independence Steam Electric Station leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. No AQS county monitors report here.

Burden score 45/100 (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 Independence -- 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 Independence, AR: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

-14.3%

9 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

-14.3%

1.1 million lb → 945.7 thousand lb, every facility that filed

  • Independence, AR's total reported releases fell from 1.1 million lb in 2022 to 945.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Independence, AR's off-site transfers fell from 109.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 82.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Independence, AR's water releases rose from 3.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 4.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Independence, AR's land releases fell from 693.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 561.9 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
38,120
TRI Facilities
9
Water Systems
13
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
5.6M lbs

Water Systems (13)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
SOUTHSIDE PUB WATER AUTHORITY 9,108 0
ROCK MOORE WATER AUTHORITY 3,462 0
PFEIFFER WATER AUTHORITY 3,343 3
DOTA PUBLIC WATER AUTHORITY 2,722 0
BETHESDA WATER ASSOCIATION 1,430 0
CUSHMAN WATER SYSTEM 1,423 1
NEWARK WATERWORKS 1,091 0
OZARK ACRES WATER ASSOCIATION 830 4
EAST PRAIRIE COUNTY PWA 545 4
MAGNESS WATER ASSOCIATION 391 0
OIL TROUGH WATERWORKS 235 0
ALICIA WATER SYSTEM 146 0
DEER RUN WATER COMPANY 119 63

TRI Facilities (9)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Independence Steam Electric Station 3.5M lbs
2 Futurefuel Chemical Co 1.4M lbs
3 Ozark Mountain Poultry Batesville Processing 383.6K lbs
4 Arkansas Lime Co 214.1K lbs
5 Peco Foods Inc - Batesville Processing 14.4K lbs
6 Custom Craft Poultry LLC 1.2K lbs
7 Lacroix Precision Optics 537 lbs
8 Omp Farms LLC 0 lbs
9 Peco Foods Inc - Newark Feed Mill 0 lbs

Cities in Independence (6)

Batesville
6 facilities · 9 water
Newark
2 facilities · 2 water
Magness
1 facilities · 0 water
Cord
0 facilities · 1 water
Oil Trough
0 facilities · 1 water
Sulphur Rock
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Independence, Arkansas?
Independence, AR has an environmental risk score of 45/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 9 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 13 water systems on record. 5 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Independence?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Independence, AR in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Independence?
Independence, AR has 9 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 5.6M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Independence?
Air quality monitoring data (EPA AQS) is not available for Independence, 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 Independence?
Independence, AR has 13 EPA-regulated water systems. 5 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 Independence?
Environmental compliance in Independence, 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

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