Envyrofax
Scan an Address

IA / county FIPS 19155 / county research

Pottawattamie County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Pottawattamie County is 177.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Kidney & renal pelvis deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 612 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (199), Brownfield property (99), Air permit holder (minor source) (80). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 30 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: 41.333, -95.5503.

How this county ranks in Iowa

View on the heat mapScan an address in this county

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 Pottawattamie County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
Melanoma of the skinDeaths3.321.65x1.9 to 5.22020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvisDeaths5.33.41.56xSignificant3.6 to 7.62020-2024
Lung & bronchusDeaths45.630.21.51xSignificant40.4 to 51.32020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases25.917.91.45xSignificant21.8 to 30.62019-2023
EsophagusDeaths5.13.71.38x3.5 to 7.42020-2024
Lung & bronchusNew cases70.251.81.36xSignificant63.8 to 77.12019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths6.44.81.33x4.6 to 8.82020-2024
EsophagusNew cases6.14.61.33x4.3 to 8.42019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)New cases21.516.41.31x13 to 33.72019-2023
Liver & bile ductDeaths8.66.61.3x6.5 to 11.32020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases23.318.51.26xSignificant19.5 to 27.62019-2023
All cancerDeaths177.1143.21.24xSignificant166.7 to 188.12020-2024
StomachNew cases8.16.61.23x5.9 to 10.82019-2023
PancreasDeaths13.711.31.21x10.9 to 172020-2024
BladderDeaths4.84.11.17x3.2 to 6.92020-2024
Melanoma of the skinNew cases26.123.81.1x21.8 to 30.92019-2023
All cancerNew cases492.6453.41.09xSignificant474.5 to 511.22019-2023
Liver & bile ductNew cases9.28.71.06x6.9 to 122019-2023
LeukemiaNew cases15.214.51.05x12.1 to 18.92019-2023
StomachDeaths2.82.71.04x1.6 to 4.62020-2024
LeukemiaDeaths5.85.71.02x4.1 to 82020-2024
ThyroidNew cases12.9130.99x9.8 to 16.72019-2023
PancreasNew cases13.113.90.94x10.4 to 16.42019-2023
BladderNew cases16.718.70.89x13.6 to 20.42019-2023
Brain & nervous systemNew cases5.56.20.89x3.6 to 82019-2023
Brain & nervous systemDeaths3.64.40.82x2.2 to 5.62020-2024

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 Pottawattamie County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death9,293.39,842.6-6%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy75.575.3+0%years
Child mortality57.959.8-3%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality7.46.2+19%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths74.296.9-24%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths18.628.6-35%deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 30 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

  • Formaldehyde16.85 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million
  • Acetaldehyde1.45 per million
  • Naphthalene1.11 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 118 days: 83 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 37, peak 87.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • Rail grade crossing199
  • Brownfield property99
  • Air permit holder (minor source)80
  • Gas station (mapped facility)61
  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit44
  • Industrial wastewater discharge36
  • Small hazardous waste generator26
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)16
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)13
  • TRI reporting facility12
  • Major air pollution source5
  • Large hazardous waste generator5
  • Public airport3
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter3
  • EPA air quality monitor2
  • Hazardous waste transporter2
  • Commercial airport1
  • Crematorium (mapped facility)1
  • Heliport1
  • Coal power plant1
  • Wind power plant1
  • 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.

  1. Walter Scott Jr Energy Ctr, Council Bluffs

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056965280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 9.8

  2. Midamerican Energy Co Walter Scott Jr Energy Center, Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium And Barium Compounds, Vanadium compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 8,018,112 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51501CNCLB2115N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 9.8

  3. Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Acrolein, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 79,062 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 5150WSTHWS19761 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.3

  4. Barton Solvents Inc Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, n-Hexane, Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 39,282 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51502BRTNS21359 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8

  5. Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, Council Bluffs

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $179,633.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110030490626 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.9

  6. Osi Industries, Llc, Oakland

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110011273068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.5

  7. Walter Scott Jr Energy Center, Council Bluffs

    Coal power plant.

    Record ID 1082 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

    Severity 7.5

  8. Highline Warren Llc - Warren Performance Packaging, Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene, Ethylbenzene, Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,107 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51501TRMNL2850R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.1

  9. Paxton & Vierling Steel - Structures, Carter Lake

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 1,481 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51510PXTNV5THAV (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.9

  10. Future Foam Inc, Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene diisocyanate (mixed isomers), Diethanolamine. Reports carcinogens. 1,236 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51501FTRFM400N1 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.9

  11. Walter Scott Jr Energy Ctr, Council Bluffs

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056965280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.5

  12. Conagra Foods Packaged Foods Llc - Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 20,290 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51503CNGRF1023F (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.3

  13. Plumrose Dba Jbs Prepared Foods - Council Bluffs 1, Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 12,015 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51501PLMRS26523 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.1

  14. Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Council Bluffs

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 10,478 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51501BPNCX27002 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.1

  15. Council Bluffs City Of Stp, Council Bluffs

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110001123221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  16. Walter Scott Jr Energy Ctr, Council Bluffs

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056965280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  17. Conagra Frozen Foods Council Bluffs Ia, Council Bluffs

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000414454 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.8

  18. Barton Solvents Inc - Council Bluffs Facility, Council Bluffs

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000414445 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.8

  19. Osi Industries, Llc, Oakland

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110011273068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.8

  20. Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, Council Bluffs

    Major air pollution source. Penalties $179,633.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110030490626 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  21. Walter Scott Jr Energy Ctr, Council Bluffs

    Large greenhouse gas emitter.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056965280 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  22. Highline Warren, Council Bluffs

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000414427 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  23. Osi Industries, Llc, Oakland

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110011273068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.3

  24. Omaha Standard Llc, Council Bluffs

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $11,000.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110024523782 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.3

  25. Osi Industries Llc, Oakland

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Chlorine. 610 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 51560KLNDF21876 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.1

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 Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie 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.

Scan an address in Pottawattamie CountyView on the heat mapAll Iowa counties