Russell, AL
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 Russell in Alabama · Population: 58,858
TRI sites such as Westrock Coated Board LLC; General Shale Brick Inc. - Plant 65; Continental Carbon Co Phenix City; SDWIS systems such as PHENIX CITY UTILITIES; FT MITCHELL WATER SYSTEM, INC.; HURTSBORO WATER & SEWER BOARD anchor Russell, AL's EPA extract. Derived burden score 30/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Westrock Coated Board LLC; General Shale Brick Inc. - Plant 65; Continental Carbon Co Phenix City are among the largest Form R filers reporting in Russell; no SDWIS system here carries an active health-based flag. AQS median AQI 42 / peak 98 in 2024.
Burden score 30/100 (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 Russell -- 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 Russell, AL: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
-10.6%
4 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
-11.8%
2.5 million lb → 2.2 million lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 0 facilities filed for the first time and 1 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Russell, AL's total reported releases fell from 2.4 million lb in 2022 to 2.2 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Russell, AL's water releases rose from 53.2 thousand lb in 2022 to 142.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Russell, AL's off-site transfers fell from 73 lb in 2022 to 0 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Russell, AL's land releases fell from 182.7 thousand lb in 2022 to 92.9 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
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 | 223 (81%) | 54 | 0 | 98 |
| 2023 | 233 (73%) | 85 | 0 | 93 |
| 2022 | 208 (57%) | 156 | 0 | 97 |
| 2021 | 214 (59%) | 147 | 3 | 142 |
| 2020 | 236 (65%) | 129 | 0 | 99 |
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 Alabama, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (3)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| PHENIX CITY UTILITIES | 42,267 | 0 |
| FT MITCHELL WATER SYSTEM, INC. | 13,509 | 0 |
| HURTSBORO WATER & SEWER BOARD | 1,038 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (7)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westrock Coated Board LLC | 11.8M lbs |
| 2 | General Shale Brick Inc. - Plant 65 | 591.7K lbs |
| 3 | Continental Carbon Co Phenix City | 169.9K lbs |
| 4 | Johns Manville | 35.5K lbs |
| 5 | Phenix Lumber Co | 215 lbs |
| 6 | Argos Phenix City Concrete Plant | 1 lbs |
| 7 | Fairburn Rm - Phenix City Plant | 0 lbs |
Cities in Russell (5)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Russell, Alabama? ▼
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How many toxic release facilities are in Russell? ▼
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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.