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Chaffee County, Colorado: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Chaffee County is 98.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 269 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (103), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (78), Air permit holder (minor source) (49). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 10 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: 38.7407, -106.1828.

How this county ranks in Colorado

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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 Chaffee County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	43.9	23.8	1.84xSignificant	33.2 to 57.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	18.1	13	1.39x	10.3 to 29.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	391.7	453.4	0.86x	359.4 to 426.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.2	18.5	0.82x	9.1 to 24.3	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	14.7	18.7	0.79x	9.3 to 22.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	98.7	143.2	0.69x	83.6 to 116.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	20.5	30.2	0.68x	14.3 to 29.3	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	9.8	17.9	0.55x	5.3 to 17.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	26.4	51.8	0.51x	19.2 to 36.2	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 Chaffee County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,515.5	9,842.6	-34%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	81	75.3	+8%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	96.7	96.9	-0%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	21.3	28.6	-25%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 10 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde6.91 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.25 per million
Acetaldehyde0.48 per million
Pahpom0.36 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 103 days: 68 good, 5 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 48, peak 108.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge103
NPDES wastewater discharge permit78
Air permit holder (minor source)49
Gas station (mapped facility)19
Brownfield property4
Commercial airport2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Heliport2
Solar power plant2
Rail grade crossing2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Hydroelectric plant1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
Proposed Superfund site1

Highest-severity records

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

Smeltertown Site, Salida
Proposed Superfund site. Hazard Ranking System score 58.6. Proposed NPL Site.
EPA site ID COD983769738 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 8
Chaffee County Landfill, Salida 9.0 Mi. Nw Of
Major air pollution source. Penalties $7,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071813387 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Butala Sand & Gravel, Salida
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024818697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Central Colorado Regional Airport, Buena Vista
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046330680 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Salida Main Pit, Salida
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064516509 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Rock Gulch Gravel Pit, Salida
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070063602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Lily Mines, Garfield (Historical)
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072845 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Gold Basin Mine, Granite
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064517492 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center, Salida
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006657796 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Four Seasons Rv Park, Salida
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071669886 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Silver Cliff Ranch, Nathrop (Historical)
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006781278 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Adventure Unlimited Ranches-Chlorinator, Buena Vista
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013749462 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Monarch Mountain Lodge Wastwater Company, Monarch
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006781376 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Buena Vista San Dist Wwtf, Buena Vista
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010133024 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Salida, City Of Wwtp, Salida
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014467102 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Spring Canyon Christian Camp, Chaffee County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064640633 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Salida Gun Club, Salida
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020031302 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Salida Auto Salvage Yard, Salida
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038710678 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Old Town Dump, Buena Vista
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071971344 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Mcginnis Gymnasium, Buena Vista
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071979540 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit, Nathrop (Historical)
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit COG130002: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Monarch Ski Area, Salida
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006781349 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Frontier Ranch Wwtf, Buena Vista
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $49,316.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009128434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Frontier Ranch Wwtf, Buena Vista
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $49,316.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071879089 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit, Nathrop (Historical)
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006782794 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
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.

Colo Dept Of Corrections - Bvcc/Mc & Cca, Buena Vista
EPA FRS registry ID
110014336842
Water system
CO0108350
Health-based violations
1 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
125
Contaminants cited
Coliform (TCR)
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Chaffee County

Colorado 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 Chaffee County, and their findings.
Colorado vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Colorado health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Colorado 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.
Colorado 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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