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Mahaska County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Mahaska County is 173.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Pancreas deaths at 2 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 182 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (55), Brownfield property (27), Air permit holder (minor source) (26). 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: 41.3356, -92.6409.

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 Mahaska County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	Deaths	22.3	11.3	1.97xSignificant	15.3 to 31.6	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	28.7	18.7	1.53xSignificant	20.5 to 39.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	20.3	13.9	1.46x	13.7 to 29.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	42.9	30.2	1.42xSignificant	33.5 to 54.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	173.3	143.2	1.21xSignificant	152.7 to 196.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	60.7	51.8	1.17x	49.1 to 74.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	16.6	14.5	1.14x	10.5 to 25.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	506.3	453.4	1.12xSignificant	468.9 to 546.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.6	17.9	1.09x	12.6 to 29.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.3	18.5	0.99x	11.6 to 27.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	20.5	23.8	0.86x	13.5 to 30.1	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 Mahaska County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,887.4	9,842.6	-20%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.6	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	64.3	96.9	-34%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	18.1	28.6	-37%	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.

Formaldehyde16.19 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde1.48 per million
Benzene0.91 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing55
Brownfield property27
Air permit holder (minor source)26
NPDES wastewater discharge permit14
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)13
Industrial wastewater discharge13
Gas station (mapped facility)11
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Small hazardous waste generator4
Public airport2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Major air pollution source1
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1
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.

Clow Valve Co Foundry, Oskaloosa
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Manganese, Lead And Lead Compounds, Nickel and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,237 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 52577CLWVLOLDHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Ideal Ready Mix - Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 265 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5257WDLRDY1969H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Oskaloosa Ne Wwtp, Oskaloosa
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039989439 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Oskaloosa Sw Stp, Oskaloosa
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039989457 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Clow Valve Machine Shop, Oskaloosa
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Lead and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 35 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 52577CLWVL902SO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Clow Valve Company - Machine Shop, Oskaloosa
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036381974 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Ideal Ready Mix Co Inc - Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043514186 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Clow Valve Co - Foundry, Oskaloosa
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000415328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Iowa Wood Preservers, Oskaloosa
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Arsenic compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region). Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 52577NDNWDBOX31 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Clow Valve Company - Machine Shop, Oskaloosa
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036381974 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Cargill, Inc., Eddyville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072238491 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Iowa Wood Preservers Inc, Oskaloosa
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002120124 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Oskaloosa Sw Stp, Oskaloosa
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110039989457 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Oldcastle Lawn & Garden, Oskaloosa
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070943545 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
New Sharon City Of Stp, New Sharon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039691599 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Clow Valve Co - Foundry, Oskaloosa
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000415328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Former Shrago And Sons, Inc., Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071972581 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Brick Plant, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973300 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
401 South M Street, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973892 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
521 South M Street, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973893 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Pin 1014300017, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973905 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
717-723 High Avenue West, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071974441 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
613 South B Street, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071975041 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
711 6th Avenue West, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071975049 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
1701 3rd Avenue East, Oskaloosa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071975050 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
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 Mahaska 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 Mahaska 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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