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Tuolumne County, California: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Tuolumne County is 144.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Pancreas deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 307 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (96), Small hazardous waste generator (53), Rail grade crossing (48). 2 correctional facilities operate in the county. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 40 in a million, driven mainly by formaldehyde.

Rates are age-adjusted per 100,000 people. A cancer signal is marked significant when the lower bound of its 95 percent confidence interval is above the U.S. rate. Facility counts use active federal records located inside the county boundary. Approximate county center: 38.0328, -119.8833.

How this county ranks in California

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Cancer deaths and new cases versus the United States

Source: NCI and CDC State Cancer Profiles, both sexes, all ages. Sorted by the ratio of the county rate to the U.S. rate.

Cancer rates for Tuolumne County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	Deaths	16.1	11.3	1.42xSignificant	12.6 to 20.5	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.3	23.8	1.36xSignificant	26.6 to 39.1	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5.4	4.1	1.32x	3.5 to 8.3	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4	3.4	1.18x	2.3 to 6.8	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	4.3	3.7	1.16x	2.5 to 7	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.2	8.7	1.06x	6.6 to 12.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.7	18.5	1.01x	14.7 to 23.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	144.7	143.2	1.01x	133.8 to 156.5	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	18.7	18.7	1x	15 to 23.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	14.2	14.5	0.98x	10.6 to 18.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	443	453.4	0.98x	422.7 to 464.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.2	17.9	0.96x	13.5 to 22	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.3	13.9	0.96x	10.3 to 17.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.3	4.6	0.93x	2.4 to 7.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	47.5	51.8	0.92x	41.7 to 54.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	27.1	30.2	0.9x	22.9 to 32.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.9	6.6	0.89x	3.9 to 8.8	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	10.6	13	0.82x	7 to 15.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	4.6	5.7	0.81x	2.9 to 7.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	3.6	4.8	0.75x	2 to 6.3	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	3.8	6.6	0.58x	2.3 to 6.2	2019-2023

Mortality measures versus the U.S. county median

Source: County Health Rankings, built from CDC National Vital Statistics System death records. The comparison value is the median of all U.S. counties.

Mortality measures for Tuolumne County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,372.1	9,842.6	-5%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.4	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	73.3	59.8	+23%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.4	6.2	+3%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	100.8	96.9	+4%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	28.5	28.6	-0%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 40 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde29.72 per million
Acetaldehyde3.27 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.74 per million
Pahpom1.56 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 338 days: 294 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 39, peak 105.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

307 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit96
Small hazardous waste generator53
Rail grade crossing48
Gas station (mapped facility)20
Industrial wastewater discharge15
Large hazardous waste generator14
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)13
Hydroelectric plant13
Hazardous waste transporter12
Public airport4
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)4
Major air pollution source2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
Heliport2
Biomass power plant2
EPA air quality monitor1
Air permit holder (minor source)1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Solar power plant1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Spi Sonora Div, Sonora
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 95373FBRBR19040 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
R & S Metals, Sonora
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070086061 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Sierra Pacific Ind. Sonora, Sonora
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070295568 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Pacific-Ultrapower Chinese Station, Jamestown
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000523201 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Sierra Pacific Ind. Sonora, Sonora
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070295568 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Pacific-Ultrapower Chinese Station, Jamestown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000523201 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Ccsf Pvc Hetch Hetchy Wep, Moccasin
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002825854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Turlock Irrigation District, La Grange
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002855964 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Pacific Bell, Groveland
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008292178 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Pacific Bell, Jamestown
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008292221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Pacific Bell, Pinecrest
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008292551 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Pacific Bell, Twain Harte
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008292613 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Sonora Rwtp/Jamestown Sdwtp, Sonora
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012650522 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Cal Sierra Disposal Inc, Sonora
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017964050 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Sierra Conservation Center, Jamestown
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110019003861 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Jamestown
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041648553 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Caltrans D-10/Constr/Ea10-0g7504, Jamestown
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041648786 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Cvs Pharmacy # 9208, Sonora
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055055121 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Columbia Union School District, Columbia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055783727 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Tuolomne Chevron, Tuolomne City
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063994600 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Big O Tires Sonora, Sonora
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110065618709 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Sierra Pacific Ind. Sonora, Sonora
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070295568 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Sonora Regional Medical Center, Sonora
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070454477 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Pacific-Ultrapower Chinese Station, Jamestown
Biomass power plant.
Record ID 50560 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 2.5
Sierra Pacific Sonora, Standard
Biomass power plant.
Record ID 54517 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 2.5

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Sheriff Jack Dambacher Detention Center, Sonora
EPA FRS registry ID
x7f0f3ab9af36940a133feaae06f2711e
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report
Tuolumne County Jail Access Road And Transit Center, Sonora
EPA FRS registry ID
xf54c4e2e55e6ea1e349c3fb232d72efd
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Tuolumne County

California state cancer registry
Cancer incidence counts by census tract or ZIP code, by cancer type and year (de-identified). Any cancer cluster inquiries or investigations in Tuolumne County, and their findings.
California vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
California health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
California environmental agency and the U.S. EPA regional office
Compliance history, inspection reports, notices of violation, penalties and enforcement actions for each facility above, cited by EPA FRS registry ID.
California drinking water program
Violation notices, sampling results and sanitary surveys for the public water systems serving the county, including any system serving a correctional facility.
Department of corrections or county sheriff
Water testing, grievances and environmental health inspections for the correctional facilities listed above.

Each Envyrofax address report includes a printable records request worksheet with the custodian and the exact request wording per finding.

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