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Adams County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Adams County is 162.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 47 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (16), Air permit holder (minor source) (8), Industrial wastewater discharge (6). 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: 41.0192, -94.6993.

How this county ranks in Iowa

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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 Adams County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	New cases	69.2	51.8	1.34x	41.6 to 111.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	521.3	453.4	1.15x	431.5 to 625.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	162.6	143.2	1.14x	112.5 to 228.6	2020-2024

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 Adams County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,725.5	9,842.6	-32%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.6	75.3	+3%	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	55.3	96.9	-43%	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.

Formaldehyde15.07 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde1.28 per million
Benzene0.61 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing16
Air permit holder (minor source)8
Industrial wastewater discharge6
NPDES wastewater discharge permit5
Gas station (mapped facility)2
TRI reporting facility2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Major air pollution source1
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Gas power plant1
Oil-fired power plant1
Wind power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Poet Biorefining-Corning, Corning
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Acrolein, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 73,345 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50841PTBRF168BR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Poet Biorefining - Corning, Llc, Corning
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030439835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Precision Pulley & Idler Inc Corning Plants, Corning
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50841PRCSN701AV (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Poet Biorefining - Corning, Llc, Corning
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030439835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Poet Biorefining - Corning, Llc, Corning
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030439835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Precision Pulley & Idler Inc Corning Plants, Corning
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000773360 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
Corning, Corning
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 1134 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Poet Biorefining - Corning, Llc, Corning
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030439835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Poet Biorefining Llc - Corning, Corning
Gas power plant.
Record ID 63919 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3
Corning City Of Stp, Corning
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036380163 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Prescott City Of Stp, Prescott
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009724110 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Corning City Of Stp, Corning
Industrial wastewater discharge. Violation Identified.
NPDES permit IA0027375: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 2.7
Corning Muni, Corning
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID CRZ (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Corning Municipal Utilities Water Treatment Plant, Corning
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001760648 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Nodaway City Of (Sirwa), Nodaway
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036355841 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Private, Prescott
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095306S (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
6th Ave, Prescott
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095312V (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Orange Ave, Prescott
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095313C (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private, Prescott
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095314J (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Mulberry Ave, Corning
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095315R (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private, Corning
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095317E (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Loomis St, Corning
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095319T (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private, Corning
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095322B (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private, Brooks
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095323H (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Gingko Ave, Corning
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 095324P (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3

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 Adams County

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