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Story County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Story County is 120.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 407 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (101), Air permit holder (minor source) (78), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (40). 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: 42.037, -93.4652.

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 Story 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	31.7	23.8	1.33xSignificant	26.5 to 37.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.7	5.7	1.18x	4.6 to 9.5	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	5.4	4.6	1.17x	3.5 to 8.2	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4.2	3.7	1.14x	2.6 to 6.7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.8	4.4	1.09x	3.1 to 7.3	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.6	6.2	1.06x	4.3 to 9.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.4	18.5	1.05x	15.6 to 24	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.2	14.5	1.05x	11.9 to 19.2	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	457.8	453.4	1.01x	438 to 478.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.2	13.9	0.95x	10.1 to 17.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.2	3.4	0.94x	1.8 to 5.3	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	12.2	13	0.94x	8.9 to 16.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	15.8	17.9	0.88x	12.3 to 20	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.1	18.7	0.86x	12.6 to 20.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	9.7	11.3	0.86x	7.1 to 13	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	120.6	143.2	0.84x	110.9 to 131.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	24.7	30.2	0.82x	20.4 to 29.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	39.4	51.8	0.76x	33.9 to 45.6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	4.9	6.6	0.74x	3.1 to 7.5	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	3.5	4.8	0.73x	2.1 to 5.7	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	4	6.6	0.61x	2.4 to 6.5	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	5.1	8.7	0.59x	3.2 to 7.6	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 Story County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	4,947.2	9,842.6	-50%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	81.5	75.3	+8%	years
Child mortality	34.5	59.8	-42%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5.2	6.2	-16%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	51.2	96.9	-47%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	7.7	28.6	-73%	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.

Formaldehyde15.44 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.94 per million
Acetaldehyde1.38 per million
Ethylene Oxide0.91 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing101
Air permit holder (minor source)78
NPDES wastewater discharge permit40
Gas station (mapped facility)39
Industrial wastewater discharge31
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)18
Small hazardous waste generator16
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)12
TRI reporting facility11
Brownfield property10
Wind power plant9
Scrapyard (mapped facility)8
Major air pollution source6
Large hazardous waste generator6
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)6
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Oil-fired power plant3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Gas power plant2
Commercial airport1
Crematorium (mapped facility)1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1
Solar 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.

Lincolnway Energy Llc, Nevada
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Methanol, Acrolein and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 85,444 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50201LNCLN59511 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Iowa State Ready Mix, Ames
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 3,373 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5001WWSTTR119LI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Lincolnway Energy Llc, Nevada
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024891027 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.2
American Packaging Corporation, Story City
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $17,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025332058 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.7
Verbio Nevada, Nevada
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 676 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5020WDPNTC59219 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Colorbiotics Llc, Ames
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 8,987 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5001WCLRBT1725D (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Nevada City Of Stp, Nevada
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036385088 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
American Packaging Corp, Story City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ozone, Diisocyanates. 7,325 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50248MRCNP13WBR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Verbio Nevada Biorefinery, Nevada
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045328873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Air Products & Chemicals Inc. Co2 Recovery Plant, Nevada
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 3,789 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5020WRPRDC59511 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Dsm Nutritional Products Llc, Ames
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Selenium compounds, Copper compounds, Cobalt compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 38 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50010HFFMN616DA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Burke Corp, Nevada
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 1,111 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50201BRKCR1516S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Hach Co, Ames
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Mercury And Mercury Compounds, Molybdenum trioxide, Maleic anhydride. Reports carcinogens. 11 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 50010HCHCM100DA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Iowa State Ready Mix, Ames
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060261176 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Hickory Grove Court, Llc, Ames
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009725155 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Lakeside Living, Llc, Nevada
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $10,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009725119 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
3m (Minnesota Mining & Mfg Co) - Ames, Ames
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000412571 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Lincolnway Energy Llc, Nevada
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024891027 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
American Packaging Corporation, Story City
Major air pollution source. Penalties $17,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025332058 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Danfoss Power Solutions (Us) Co, Ames
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 50010SNDST2800E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Dsm Nutritional Products Inc, Ames
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001753255 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Slater City Of Stp, Slater
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022295103 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Iowa State University/ Isu Heating Plant, Ames
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022692111 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Lincolnway Energy Llc, Nevada
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024891027 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
American Packaging Corporation, Story City
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $17,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025332058 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3

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 Story 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 Story 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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