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Palo Alto County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Palo Alto County is 186.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 181 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (108), Air permit holder (minor source) (20), Industrial wastewater discharge (13). 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: 43.0678, -94.6781.

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 Palo Alto County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
Melanoma of the skinNew cases48.123.82.02xSignificant30.1 to 73.12019-2023
LeukemiaNew cases28.314.51.95xSignificant16.1 to 46.82019-2023
Lung & bronchusNew cases87.251.81.68xSignificant66.3 to 113.62019-2023
Lung & bronchusDeaths47.630.21.58xSignificant32.5 to 68.32020-2024
BladderNew cases25.318.71.35x14.5 to 42.22019-2023
All cancerDeaths186.8143.21.3xSignificant154.8 to 224.22020-2024
All cancerNew cases563.1453.41.24xSignificant502.4 to 629.62019-2023

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 Palo Alto County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death7,822.49,842.6-21%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy76.775.3+2%years
Child mortalityn/a59.8n/adeaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortalityn/a6.2n/adeaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths7996.9-19%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deathsn/a28.6n/adeaths 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.

  • Formaldehyde13.24 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
  • Acetaldehyde1.13 per million
  • Benzene0.69 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 364 days: 263 good, 9 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 40, peak 134.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • Rail grade crossing108
  • Air permit holder (minor source)20
  • Industrial wastewater discharge13
  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit12
  • Gas station (mapped facility)6
  • Brownfield property4
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter3
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
  • Major air pollution source2
  • Small hazardous waste generator2
  • Oil-fired power plant2
  • TRI reporting facility2
  • EPA air quality monitor1
  • Commercial airport1
  • 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.

  1. Poet Biorefining - Emmetsburg Llc, Emmetsburg

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Acetaldehyde, Ammonia, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 38,927 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 50536VYGRT47243 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8

  2. Poet Biorefining - Emmetsburg, Emmetsburg

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110020579907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.4

  3. Ag Processing Inc, Emmetsburg

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 416,901 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 50536GPRCS47393 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.3

  4. Poet-Dsm Project Liberty Llc, Emmetsburg

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 77,789 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 5053WPTDSM38484 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.8

  5. Ag Processing Inc, Emmetsburg

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018869303 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.3

  6. Emmetsburg City Of Stp, Emmetsburg

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010036530 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  7. Poet Biorefining - Emmetsburg, Emmetsburg

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110020579907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5

  8. EMMETSBURG, IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLL., Emmetsburg

    EPA air quality monitor.

    Record ID 191471002 (U.S. EPA AirData)

    Severity 4.7

  9. Poet Biorefining - Emmetsburg, Emmetsburg

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110020579907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.5

  10. West Bend, West Bent

    Oil-fired power plant.

    Record ID 1199 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

    Severity 4

  11. Graettinger, Graettinger

    Oil-fired power plant.

    Record ID 1142 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

    Severity 4

  12. Poet Biorefining - Emmetsburg, Emmetsburg

    Large greenhouse gas emitter.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110020579907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4

  13. Ag Processing Inc, Emmetsburg

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018869303 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3.5

  14. Sidles Warehouse, Emmetsburg

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110038756085 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  15. Sassman/Vanderhoff Building, Ruthven

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110040210615 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  16. Phelps Dental Office, Emmetsburg

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071968691 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  17. Wards' Building, Emmetsburg

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071968692 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  18. Ruthven City Of Stp, Ruthven

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110009724129 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3

  19. Mallard City Of Stp, Mallard

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010036184 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3

  20. Ag Processing Inc, Emmetsburg

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110018869303 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3

  21. Iowa Lakes Regional Water Osgood Plant, Graettinger

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110036163834 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3

  22. Emmetsburg City Of Stp, Emmetsburg

    Industrial wastewater discharge. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.

    NPDES permit IA0021580: (U.S. EPA NPDES)

    Severity 3

  23. Cylinder City Of Stp, Cylinder

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010031483 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 2.8

  24. West Bend City Of Stp, West Bend

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010034257 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 2.8

  25. Graettinger City Of Stp, Graettinger

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010035764 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 2.8

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 Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto 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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