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Van Buren County, Iowa: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Van Buren County is 178.6 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 1.9 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 48 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (19), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (12), Air permit holder (minor source) (11). 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: 40.7574, -91.9485.

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 Van Buren 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	48.2	23.8	2.03xSignificant	30 to 74.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	57.4	30.2	1.9xSignificant	38.6 to 83.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	97.9	51.8	1.89xSignificant	72.9 to 130	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	178.6	143.2	1.25xSignificant	143.4 to 220.8	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	518.7	453.4	1.14xSignificant	455.9 to 588.4	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 Van Buren County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,794.7	9,842.6	-21%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.5	75.3	+3%	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	67.4	96.9	-31%	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.

Formaldehyde16.55 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde1.55 per million
Benzene0.68 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 364 days: 236 good, 2 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 44, peak 129.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge19
NPDES wastewater discharge permit12
Air permit holder (minor source)11
Public airport2
EPA air quality monitor1
Gas station (mapped facility)1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)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.

LAKE SUGEMA STATE PARK II
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 191770006 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.6
Hill Phoenix Specialty Div, Keosauqua
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese, Copper. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 52565BRKRC703FR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Hillphoenix Specialty Products, Keosauqua
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007007924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Birmingham City Of Stp, Birmingham
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010036237 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Center Village Care Facility-Stp, Keosauqua
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011272746 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Milton City Of Stp, Milton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011273157 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Dnr Lacey Keosauqua State Park, Keosauqua
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035766089 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Cantril City Of Stp, Cantril
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009724174 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Farmington City Of Stp, Farmington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011273120 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Stockport City Of Stp, Stockport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010032384 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Keosauqua City Of Stp, Keosauqua
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043868856 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Bonaparte City Of Stp, Bonaparte
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit IA0050628: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 2.5
Bonaparte City Of Stp, Bonaparte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009724147 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Douds/Leando,City Of(Rathbun Regional Water Assoc), Douds
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010028237 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Keosauqua Muni, Keosauqua
Public airport. O.
Record ID 6K9 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Mount Sterling, City Of Stp, Mount Sterling
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit IA0076651: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 1.8
Mount Sterling, City Of Stp, Mount Sterling
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010829041 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Milton Creamery, Llc, Milton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110027990529 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Mid-States Mfg & Engineering Co Inc, Milton
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110001362356 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Robert Caviness, Keosauqua
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110001756038 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Hillphoenix Specialty Products, Keosauqua
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110007007924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Farmers Cooperative Assoc-Stockport, Stockport
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110007058637 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Bonaparte, Bonaparte
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110007250580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Barker Wire Products Incorporated, Keosauqua
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110011274824 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Douds Stone Inc-Selma, Selma
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110022298440 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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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