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Kossuth County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Kossuth County is 134.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 233 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (124), Air permit holder (minor source) (29), Industrial wastewater discharge (23). 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: 43.2054, -94.2066.

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 Kossuth County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	40.2	23.8	1.69xSignificant	27.5 to 56.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	31.2	18.5	1.69xSignificant	21.5 to 44.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	23.9	17.9	1.34x	14.9 to 36.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	17.6	14.5	1.21x	10.3 to 28.6	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	19.2	18.7	1.03x	11.3 to 30.8	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	447	453.4	0.99x	406.5 to 490.9	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	134.7	143.2	0.94x	113.5 to 159.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	48.7	51.8	0.94x	37.1 to 63.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	27.7	30.2	0.92x	19.3 to 39.5	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 Kossuth County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,364	9,842.6	-25%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.7	75.3	+5%	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	79	96.9	-18%	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.

Formaldehyde13.36 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.94 per million
Acetaldehyde1.14 per million
Benzene0.67 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing124
Air permit holder (minor source)29
Industrial wastewater discharge23
NPDES wastewater discharge permit20
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)7
Small hazardous waste generator5
TRI reporting facility5
Major air pollution source4
Gas station (mapped facility)4
Wind power plant4
Public airport3
Oil-fired power plant2
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1

Highest-severity records

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

Green Plains Lakota, Llc, Lakota
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006529729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.8
Brandfx Llc, Swea City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 106,759 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50590FBRBD4074T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Valero Lakota Plant, Lakota
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Formic acid, Acrolein, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 68,202 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50451MDWST16604 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Ag Processing Inc.-Algona Methyl Ester, Algona
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 53,762 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50511STFRK21814 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Green Plains Lakota, Llc, Lakota
Major air pollution source. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006529729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Brand Fx Body Company - Swea City, Swea City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000413614 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Ag Processing, Inc. Algona Methyl Ester Processing, Algona
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056955488 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Green Plains Lakota, Llc, Lakota
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006529729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Green Plains Lakota, Llc, Lakota
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006529729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Murphy Farms, Llc, Algona
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017385122 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
A.I. Processors, Whittemore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds, Zinc compounds. 456 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50598PRCSS515WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Algona City Of Stp, Algona
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001967738 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Snap-On Tools Manufacturing Co, Algona
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 1 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50511SNPNTHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.7
Murphy Brown Llc Algona Feed Mill, Algona
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc (fume or dust), Copper And Copper Compounds, Manganese, Copper compounds. 58 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50511MRPHY21209 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.4
Algona, Algona
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 1120 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Bancroft, Bancroft
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 1125 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Snap-On Tools Manufacturing Company, Algona
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010828854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Brand Fx Body Company - Swea City, Swea City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000413614 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Southdale Addition, Algona
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010030411 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Ag Processing, Inc. Algona Methyl Ester Processing, Algona
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056955488 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Tafco Div8, Algona
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071841809 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Wesley City Of Stp, Wesley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039691492 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Ag Processing, Inc. Algona Methyl Ester Processing, Algona
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056955488 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Algona City Of Stp, Algona
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit IA0022055: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Standard Nutrition Co, Bancroft
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Selenium compounds, Copper compounds, Manganese compounds, Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 50517STNDRSHWY1 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 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 Kossuth 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 Kossuth 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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