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Calhoun County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Calhoun County is 133.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 109 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (57), Air permit holder (minor source) (15), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (13). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 42.3844, -94.6272.

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 Calhoun County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	New cases	27.3	18.7	1.46x	16.2 to 44	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	23	18.5	1.24x	13.1 to 38.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	28.1	23.8	1.18x	16.4 to 45.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	474.5	453.4	1.05x	423.2 to 530.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	28.4	30.2	0.94x	18.1 to 43.8	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	133.4	143.2	0.93x	108.3 to 163.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	43.9	51.8	0.85x	30.6 to 62.1	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 Calhoun County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,618.8	9,842.6	-23%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.7	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	84.6	96.9	-13%	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.

Formaldehyde13.83 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde1.18 per million
Benzene0.62 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing57
Air permit holder (minor source)15
NPDES wastewater discharge permit13
Industrial wastewater discharge10
Gas station (mapped facility)8
Public airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Heliport1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)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.

Bowie International Llc, Lake City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 78,168 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 51449BWMNF313SH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Bowie International Llc, Lake City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000414356 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Rockwell City Wwtp, Rockwell City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039991890 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Rinard City Of Stp, Rinard
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010034612 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Farnhamville City Of Stp, Farnhamville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010035390 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Lytton City Of Stp, Lytton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010036843 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Lohrville, City Of Stp, Lohrville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055487888 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Twin Lakes Sanitary District Stp, Rockwell City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036382170 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Manson, City Of Wtp, Manson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070695854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Lytton City Of Stp, Lytton
Industrial wastewater discharge. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit IA0020940: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Rockwell City, City Of Stp, Rockwell City
Industrial wastewater discharge. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit IA0033138: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 2.8
Knierim, City Of Wtp, Knierim
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055543292 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Manson Wwtp, Manson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010035577 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Lake City Wwtp, Lake City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010036825 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Pomeroy City Of Stp, Pomeroy
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036383954 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Rockwell City Muni, Rockwell City
Public airport. O.
Record ID 2Y4 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Rockwell City Water Supply, Rockwell City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022687920 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Corey Agr, Inc. Of Lytton Beef Feeding, Lytton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024462437 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Xavier Ave, Manson
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 307418F (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Van Buren Ave, Manson
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 307421N (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Udall Ave, Manson
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 307422V (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
15th St, Manson
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 307423C (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Main St, Manson
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 307424J (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
8th St, Manson
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 307427E (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private, Manson
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 307428L (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.

Iowa Prison Industries, Rockwell City
EPA FRS registry ID
110030490528
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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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