Kern, CA
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023 Toxics Release Inventory, Safe Drinking Water Information System, and Superfund National Priorities List, this Environmental Justice Screening Report covers Kern, CA (population 910,433).
This report synthesizes four indicator layers into a single burden score for Kern, CA: Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) volume, Safe Drinking Water Act health violations, Superfund National Priorities List presence, and carcinogen-releasing facility density. The county's overall score is 43/100 (grade C+), ranking #391 of 500 counties analyzed in the current dataset.
Underlying values: 41 TRI-reporting facilities releasing 55.7M lbs of disclosed toxics; 1,812 health-based SDWIS violations across the county's water systems; 1 Superfund NPL site; and 29 facilities reporting carcinogenic chemicals.
Percentile scores compare this county against a national sample of up to 500 counties ranked by the same four indicators. A high burden grade does not by itself establish current health harm, it documents the cumulative regulatory and disclosure footprint drawn from EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund data. Use the indicator breakdown below to see which component drives the score, and drill into the top chemicals and facilities for the underlying Form R filings. This percentile-based score is a different measure than the county profile's fixed-threshold risk score, expect the two numbers to differ.
Top Chemicals Released
| Chemical | Total Released | Carcinogen | PBT | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum oxide (fibrous forms) | 9.3M lbs | No | No | 1 |
| Ethylene glycol | 6.6M lbs | No | No | 4 |
| Asbestos (friable) | 6.2M lbs | Yes | No | 2 |
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 3.9M lbs | No | No | 4 |
| Copper And Copper Compounds | 3.9M lbs | No | No | 2 |
| Methanol | 3.6M lbs | No | No | 6 |
| Selenium And Selenium Compounds | 3.0M lbs | No | No | 1 |
| Zinc compounds | 2.3M lbs | No | No | 7 |
| Lead And Lead Compounds | 2.1M lbs | No | Yes | 13 |
| Naphthalene | 2.0M lbs | Yes | No | 11 |
Which facilities pollute this county the most?
What is the environmental burden score for Kern, CA?
Kern has an environmental burden score of 43/100 (grade: C+), ranking #391 out of 500 counties analyzed. This score is based on toxic releases, water quality, Superfund contamination, and carcinogen exposure.
How many TRI facilities are in Kern?
Kern has 41 TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) facilities reporting to the EPA, with total releases of 55.7M lbs.
Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This screening tool is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the federal government.
What to do with Kern's screening report
Use this county's score as a starting point, then drill into the specific concern that matters to you.
- Kern has 41 TRI facilities reporting to the EPA -- see which one releases the most. Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC
- Ranked #391 of 500 counties analyzed -- see how California as a whole compares nationally. California state profile
- See which counties nationwide carry the highest combined environmental burden. National rankings
This score synthesizes four EPA indicator layers into a single 0-100 index; it is not a health-risk diagnosis or a substitute for local environmental testing.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this Environmental Justice Screening Score is computed from the 2023 Toxics Release Inventory, the Safe Drinking Water Information System, and the Superfund National Priorities List, spanning PlainEnviro's database of more than 25,000 EPA-tracked facilities nationwide; see our methodology for the full scoring formula and source citations.