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Gunnison County, Colorado: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Gunnison County is 108.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 442 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (278), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (80), Air permit holder (minor source) (48). 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: 38.7005, -106.9758.

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 Gunnison 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	31.4	23.8	1.32x	20.7 to 45.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	353.5	453.4	0.78x	313.8 to 396.9	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	108.8	143.2	0.76x	86.6 to 135	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	35.7	51.8	0.69x	23.2 to 52.6	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 Gunnison County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	4,089.9	9,842.6	-58%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	82.9	75.3	+10%	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	77.1	96.9	-20%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	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.

Formaldehyde7.54 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.26 per million
Acetaldehyde0.55 per million
Benzene0.52 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 364 days: 264 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 46, peak 115.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge278
NPDES wastewater discharge permit80
Air permit holder (minor source)48
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)4
Small hazardous waste generator3
Landfill (mapped facility)3
Rail grade crossing3
EPA air quality monitor2
Heliport2
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Brownfield property1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hydroelectric plant1
Other power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)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.

Standard Mine, Gunnison National Forest
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID CO0002378230 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Mt Cb Water + Sanitation District Water Treatment Plant Expansion, Mount Crested Butte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039695577 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Gunnison Wwtp, Gunnison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055971836 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Gunnison-Crested Butte Rgnl, Gunnison
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID GUC (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
West Elk Mine, Gunnison County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010053805 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Holt'S Guest Ranch Wwtw, Almont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038448640 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Gunnison Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046298056 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Bear Ranch Llc, Somerset
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056996354 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Dickerson Pit, Gunnison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070003053 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Taramarcaz Pit, Doyleville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070004116 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Conger Harvesting Area, Marble
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070051406 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Taylor Park (Murdie Flats) Pit, Taylor Park
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070063550 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Kebler Pass Pit, Crested Butte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072796 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Watson Flats, Gunnison County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072860 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Sacramento Access Tunnel, Gunnison County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070097760 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Boullion King Mine, Crested Butte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $20,750.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070599510 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Crested Butte South Metro Dist, Crested Butte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010055616 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Blue Mesa Recreation Ranch, Gunnison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071296684 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Oxbow Mining Inc, Somerset
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010055288 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Taylor River Canyon Llc Wwtf, Almont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069214380 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Camp Gunnison Inc, Gunnison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070003115 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Gunnison Lakeside Resort, Gunnison County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070815295 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Oxbow Mining Inc, Somerset
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110010055288 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Crested Butte Wwtf, Crested Butte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041909021 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Peanut Mine, Crested Butte
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038746934 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3

Correctional facilities

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

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Gunnison 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 Gunnison 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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