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Morgan County, Colorado: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Morgan County is 159.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 372 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (104), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (82), Air permit holder (minor source) (70). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 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: 40.2704, -103.8108.

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 Morgan County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	159.5	143.2	1.11x	141.1 to 179.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	10.9	11.3	0.96x	6.5 to 17.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.7	13.9	0.91x	7.9 to 19.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	26.2	30.2	0.87x	19.2 to 35	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.6	18.5	0.79x	9.4 to 21.7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	14.1	17.9	0.79x	9 to 21.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	39.4	51.8	0.76x	30.7 to 50	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	335.6	453.4	0.74x	308.2 to 364.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	10.6	14.5	0.73x	6.4 to 16.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	16.5	23.8	0.69x	10.9 to 24	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	12.4	18.7	0.66x	7.6 to 19	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 Morgan County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,509.9	9,842.6	-3%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.6	75.3	+0%	years
Child mortality	69.9	59.8	+17%	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	107	96.9	+10%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	18.4	28.6	-36%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde14.54 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.6 per million
Acetaldehyde1.21 per million
Benzene1.21 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge104
NPDES wastewater discharge permit82
Air permit holder (minor source)70
Rail grade crossing48
Gas station (mapped facility)19
Major air pollution source9
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
TRI reporting facility6
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
Large greenhouse gas emitter5
Public airport3
Gas power plant3
Heliport2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
Commercial airport1
Brownfield property1
Crematorium (mapped facility)1
Coal power plant1
Solar power plant1
Scrapyard (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.

Public Service Company Of Colorado Pawnee Station, Brush
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $15,300.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000600234 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Public Service Co Of Colorado Pawnee Station, Brush
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium And Barium Compounds, Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Vanadium compounds, Manganese compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 4,908,208 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 80723PBLCS14940 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.6
Fort Morgan Beef Plant, Fort Morgan
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467637 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.6
Western Sugar Cooperative, Fort Morgan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Ammonia, Nitric acid, Peracetic acid. Reports carcinogens. 666,501 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 80701WSTRN18317 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Cargill Meat Solutions Corp, Fort Morgan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Peracetic acid, Nitric acid. 2,340,016 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 80701XCLCR1505E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Public Service Company Of Colorado Pawnee Station, Brush
Major air pollution source. Penalties $15,300.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000600234 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Pawnee, Brush
Coal power plant.
Record ID 6248 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 6.5
Fort Morgan Beef Plant, Fort Morgan
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467637 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Public Service Company Of Colorado Pawnee Station, Brush
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $15,300.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000600234 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Western Sugar Cooperative, Fort Morgan
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015762824 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Fort Morgan Beef Plant, Fort Morgan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467637 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Fort Morgan Facility, Morgan County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064608713 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Leprino Foods Co, Fort Morgan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 7,787 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 80701LPRNF2400E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Leprino Foods Company Fort Morgan, Fort Morgan
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011372335 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Fort Morgan Beef Plant, Fort Morgan
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467637 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Jackson Lake Plant, Weldona
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 1,164 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 8065WJCKSN3145C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Jackson Lake Plant, Weldona
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069619933 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Summit Dj-S - Jackson Lake Gas Plant, Weldona
Major air pollution source. Penalties $57,750.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067248491 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Public Service Co - Roundup Station, Fort Morgan
Major air pollution source. Penalties $10,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001721129 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Altagas Brush Energy - 1500 S Clayton St, Brush
Major air pollution source. Penalties $35,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017431484 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Green Brothers Inc., Fort Morgan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002435204 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Builders Aggregate Co - 18825 Hwy 52, Fort Morgan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010337117 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Fort Morgan Municipal Airport, Fort Morgan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013708595 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Brushco Farms, Inc, Brush
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043738747 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Pagels Tp-Pagels Wtp, Ft Morgan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110050393560 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5

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 Morgan 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 Morgan 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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