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Marion County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Marion County is 163.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 209 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (70), Air permit holder (minor source) (48), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (16). 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: 41.3313, -93.0995.

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 Marion County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	26.3	17.9	1.47xSignificant	19.7 to 34.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.6	6.2	1.39x	5 to 14	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.9	5.7	1.39x	4.7 to 12.8	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.5	4.8	1.35x	3.9 to 10.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	18.1	13.9	1.3x	13.2 to 24.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	14.6	11.3	1.29x	10.1 to 20.6	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	18.6	14.5	1.28x	13.3 to 25.4	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	23.6	18.7	1.26x	17.8 to 31	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	16.4	13	1.26x	10.7 to 24	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	28.7	23.8	1.21x	21.6 to 37.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	22	18.5	1.19x	16.5 to 29	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	61.5	51.8	1.19xSignificant	51.9 to 72.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	532.3	453.4	1.17xSignificant	501.6 to 564.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	163.5	143.2	1.14xSignificant	147.5 to 180.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	31.9	30.2	1.06x	25.1 to 40.1	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 Marion County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,618.2	9,842.6	-33%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.2	75.3	+4%	years
Child mortality	53.8	59.8	-10%	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	79.1	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.

Formaldehyde16.15 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.95 per million
Acetaldehyde1.47 per million
Benzene0.77 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing70
Air permit holder (minor source)48
NPDES wastewater discharge permit16
Industrial wastewater discharge15
Gas station (mapped facility)12
Major air pollution source8
Small hazardous waste generator8
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)7
TRI reporting facility6
Large hazardous waste generator5
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Commercial airport2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Heliport2
Oil-fired power plant2
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Battery storage plant1
Hydroelectric 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.

Vermeer Corp, Pella
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Toluene, Ethylbenzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 160,694 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50219VRMRM2MILE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Pella Corporation - Pella Division, Pella
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011274334 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Pella Corp, Pella
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, n-Butyl alcohol, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Xylene (mixed isomers). 445,888 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50219RLSCR102MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
3m Co - Knoxville, Knoxville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Acrylic acid, Zinc compounds. 277,635 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50138MNNST3406E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Ideal Ready Mix - Pella, Pella
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 355 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5021WDLRDY12CLA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
3m (Minnesota Mining & Mfg Co) - Knoxville, Knoxville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Knoxville City Of Stp, Knoxville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002039981 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Vermeer Corporation, Pella
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Ideal Ready Mix - Pella, Pella
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071908900 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Precision Pulley & Idler Inc, Pella
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 4 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50219PRCSN300SE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Pella Corporation - Pella Division, Pella
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011274334 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Chem Tech Ltd, Pleasantville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Dichlorvos, Piperonyl butoxide, Permethrin, Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 50225CHMTC1006H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Pella Corporation - Pella Division, Pella
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011274334 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Pella Peaking, Pella
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 7971 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Knoxville Industrial, Knoxville
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 7849 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Precision Pulley & Idler Inc-Pella, Pella
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412857 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Weiler Products, Knoxville
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $108,976.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002439683 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Pella Engraving Co, Pella
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005777524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
3m (Minnesota Mining & Mfg Co) - Knoxville, Knoxville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Pella West Substation, Pella
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014397820 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Vermeer Corporation, Pella
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Mid American Energy Co-Knoxville, Knoxville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001765787 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Natural Gas Pipeline Co Of America - Station 198, Knoxville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002071739 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
South Central Iowa Solid Waste Agency (Sciswa) -Landfill, Tracy
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002376875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Harvey City Of Stp, Harvey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010029254 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5

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 Marion 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 Marion 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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