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Karnes, TX

Moderate Risk (37/100)

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.

Environmental data for Karnes in Texas · Population: 14,819

TRI sites such as Red Ewald LLC; Ashland Specialty Ingredients G.p.; Eog Resources Inc Lyssy Hub; SDWIS systems such as CITY OF KENEDY; EL OSO WSC; CITY OF KARNES CITY anchor Karnes, TX's EPA extract. Derived burden score 37/100 (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 Karnes include CITY OF KENEDY; EL OSO WSC; CITY OF KARNES CITY, while Red Ewald LLC leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 7 / peak 33 in 2024.

Burden score 37/100 (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 Karnes -- 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 Karnes, TX: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

-33.9%

6 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

-33.9%

143.9 thousand lb → 95.1 thousand lb, every facility that filed

  • Karnes, TX's total reported releases fell from 143.9 thousand lb in 2022 to 95.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Karnes, TX's air releases fell from 95.9 thousand lb in 2022 to 52.3 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Karnes, TX's off-site transfers fell from 48.0 thousand lb in 2022 to 42.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
14,819
TRI Facilities
8
Water Systems
5
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
376.9K lbs

Air Quality History (2020–2024)

EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy (SG) Max AQI
2024 363 (100%) 0 0 33
2023 357 (100%) 0 0 29
2022 349 (100%) 0 0 34
2021 364 (100%) 0 0 26
2020 363 (100%) 0 0 32
2024 Good Air Quality: 100% of days
Median AQI: 7

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)

For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Texas, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.

Water Systems (5)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
CITY OF KENEDY 6,454 7
EL OSO WSC 6,288 22
CITY OF KARNES CITY 4,269 3
CITY OF RUNGE 1,482 1
FASHING PEGGY WATER SYSTEM 474 0

TRI Facilities (8)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Red Ewald LLC 117.2K lbs
2 Ashland Specialty Ingredients G.p. 77.1K lbs
3 Eog Resources Inc Lyssy Hub 68.6K lbs
4 Eog Resources Inc. Milton Hub 62.0K lbs
5 Maverick Maintenance & Supply LLC 28.5K lbs
6 Kenedy Gas Plant 12.0K lbs
7 Lf Manufacturing Inc - Riddleville Plant 10.9K lbs
8 Nalco Company-Karnes 705 lbs

Cities in Karnes (4)

Karnes City
6 facilities · 3 water
Kenedy
1 facilities · 1 water
Hobson
1 facilities · 0 water
Runge
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Karnes, Texas? ▼
Karnes, TX has an environmental risk score of 37/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 8 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 5 water systems on record. 4 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Karnes? ▼
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Karnes, TX in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Karnes? ▼
Karnes, TX has 8 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 376.9K lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Karnes? ▼
In 2024, Karnes, TX recorded a median AQI of 7 and a peak AQI of 33. 100% of monitored days had "Good" air quality (AQI 0–50). Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County.
Is the drinking water safe in Karnes? ▼
Karnes, TX has 5 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 Karnes? ▼
Environmental compliance in Karnes, Texas is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Texas 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.

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