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Cass County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Cass County is 167.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Pancreas deaths at 2.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 113 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (37), Air permit holder (minor source) (19), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (14). 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: 41.3315, -94.9277.

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 Cass County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	Deaths	26.4	11.3	2.34xSignificant	16.9 to 39.9	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	27.3	13.9	1.96xSignificant	17.8 to 40.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	35.1	18.7	1.88xSignificant	24 to 50.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	19.7	13	1.52x	10.6 to 33.6	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	26.9	17.9	1.5x	16.5 to 41.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.5	23.8	1.37x	20.9 to 48.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	601.4	453.4	1.33xSignificant	550.6 to 656.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	67.5	51.8	1.3xSignificant	52.7 to 86.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	167.4	143.2	1.17x	142.8 to 195.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	30.2	30.2	1x	21.2 to 42.9	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 Cass County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,565.5	9,842.6	-23%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.2	75.3	+1%	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	92.7	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.

Formaldehyde14.62 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde1.25 per million
Benzene0.7 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing37
Air permit holder (minor source)19
NPDES wastewater discharge permit14
Industrial wastewater discharge9
Gas station (mapped facility)8
Small hazardous waste generator4
Wind power plant4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
TRI reporting facility3
Large hazardous waste generator2
Major air pollution source1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1
Gas power plant1
Oil-fired 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.

PCE Former Dry Cleaner, Atlantic
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID IAD039954300 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Elite Octane Llc, Atlantic
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formic acid, Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 334,097 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5002WLTCTN652GL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Mahle Engine Components Usa Inc, Atlantic
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1-Bromopropane, Copper And Copper Compounds, Copper compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 36,575 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50022JPTRNWESTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Elite Octane, Atlantic
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063892499 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Central Iowa Ready Mix, Atlantic
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1,259 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50022MRCNC61W2N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Atlantic Water Purtificaton Plant, Atlantic
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010035443 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Glacier Vandervell Incorporated, Atlantic
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $15,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
American Concrete Products Inc, Atlantic
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025317128 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Elite Octane, Atlantic
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063892499 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Glacier Vandervell Incorporated, Atlantic
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $15,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Elite Octane, Atlantic
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063892499 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Anita, Anita
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 1123 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Atlantic Water Purtificaton Plant, Atlantic
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110010035443 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Massena Wwtp, Massena
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039697049 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Elite Octane, Atlantic
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063892499 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Atlantic, Atlantic
Gas power plant.
Record ID 1124 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3
Glacier Vandervell Incorporated, Atlantic
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $15,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Schuler Mfg, Griswold
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007254461 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Hubbard Feeds Inc, Atlantic
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 50022CNTNNHWY93 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Glacier Vandervell Incorporated, Atlantic
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $15,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Griswold Wwtp, Griswold
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009723772 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Cumberland Wwtp, Cumberland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009724030 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Atlantic Muni, Atlantic
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID AIO (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Anita Muni-Kevin Burke Meml Fld, Anita
Public airport. O.
Record ID Y43 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Wastewater Plant
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/934771889 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2

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 Cass 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 Cass 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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