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Prowers County, Colorado: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Prowers County is 188.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 267 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (67), Industrial wastewater discharge (50), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (44). 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: 37.963, -102.3925.

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 Prowers County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	27.1	17.9	1.51x	15.3 to 44.2	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	188.7	143.2	1.32xSignificant	158.4 to 223.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	39.7	30.2	1.31x	26.3 to 58	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	391.4	453.4	0.86x	345.4 to 442.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	40.1	51.8	0.77x	27 to 58	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 Prowers County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,421.6	9,842.6	+16%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.7	75.3	-2%	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	101.2	96.9	+4%	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: 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.

Formaldehyde11.19 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.64 per million
Acetaldehyde0.76 per million
Benzene0.47 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 338 good, 2 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 27, peak 652.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)67
Industrial wastewater discharge50
NPDES wastewater discharge permit44
Rail grade crossing39
Brownfield property20
Gas station (mapped facility)16
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)9
Major air pollution source4
Wind power plant3
Scrapyard (mapped facility)3
Public airport2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Oil-fired power plant1
TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

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

Cf Maier Composites Inc., Lamar
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methyl methacrylate. Reports carcinogens. 127,545 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 81052CFMRC500EC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Sutrak, Lamar
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 14,010 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 81052FBRGL800ST (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
C F Maier Composites Incorporated, Lamar
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $7,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467879 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Lamar Utilities Board, Lamar
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001430997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Lamar Utilities Board, Lamar
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001430997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Lamar Utilities Board, Lamar
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001430997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Pit Stop Oil, Llc, Lamar
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001745283 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Pit Stop Oil, Llc, Lamar
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $6,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001745283 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
C F Maier Composites Incorporated, Lamar
Major air pollution source. Penalties $7,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467879 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Sutrak, Lamar
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467888 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Out West Equip, Lamar
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039160877 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
West Farm Pit, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059790668 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Jones Pit East, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070063549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Bates Pit, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072794 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Brann Pit, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072795 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Randy Shaw Pit, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072797 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Walker Pit North, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072798 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Davis Pit, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072799 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Wiley Gravel Pit, Prowers County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070072863 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
C F Maier Composites Incorporated, Lamar
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467879 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Holly, Holly
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 502 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Sutrak, Lamar
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110000467888 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Holly Airport, Holly
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046319667 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Lamar Municipal Bldg, Lamar
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 080990002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 3.6
Colorado Interstate Gas Co - Springfield, Lamar
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001966329 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5

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 Prowers 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 Prowers 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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