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Benewah County, Idaho: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Benewah County is 158.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 141 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (48), Industrial wastewater discharge (31), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (22). 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: 47.2144, -116.6846.

How this county ranks in Idaho

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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 Benewah County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	New cases	30.2	18.7	1.61x	18.2 to 48.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	19.8	13.9	1.42x	11 to 34.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	22.8	17.9	1.27x	12.8 to 38.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	38	30.2	1.26x	25.4 to 55.7	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	21	18.5	1.14x	11.4 to 36.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	158.3	143.2	1.11x	130.5 to 191.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	56.5	51.8	1.09x	41.5 to 76.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	415	453.4	0.92x	368.5 to 466.5	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 Benewah County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,074.8	9,842.6	+13%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.9	75.3	-2%	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	105.7	96.9	+9%	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.

Formaldehyde13.47 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.75 per million
Acetaldehyde1.86 per million
Pahpom1.05 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 363 days: 230 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 41, peak 92.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing48
Industrial wastewater discharge31
NPDES wastewater discharge permit22
Air permit holder (minor source)9
Gas station (mapped facility)9
Brownfield property5
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Major air pollution source2
Public airport2
Heliport2
EPA air quality monitor1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1
Proposed Superfund site1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

St. Maries Creosote, St. Maries
Proposed Superfund site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. Proposed NPL Site.
EPA site ID IDSFN1002095 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 8
Potlatchdeltic Land And Lumber Llc - St. Maries Lumber Drying Division, St Maries
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $309,547.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000468789 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Potlatchdeltic Land & Lumber Llc St Maries Complex, Saint Maries
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Diisocyanates. 528,625 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 83861STMRSMILLR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
St Maries Wwtp, Saint Maries
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $6,534.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011271541 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Plummer Wwtp, Plummer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $7,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013719075 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Tensed Wwtp, Tensed
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070055108 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Stimson Lumber Co Plummer Operation, Plummer
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds. 1,660 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 83851PLMMR7321T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
St. Maries
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 160090010 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.3
Emida Waste Water Facility, Saint Maries
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,025.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039690493 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Plummer Forest Products, Plummer
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022811876 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Stimson Lumber Company St Maries Mill, Saint Maries
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044893023 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Stimson Lumber Co St Maries Operation, Saint Maries
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds. 232 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 8386WSTMSN5MILL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.8
Potlatchdeltic Land And Lumber Llc - St. Maries Lumber Drying Division, St Maries
Major air pollution source. Penalties $309,547.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000468789 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Potlatchdeltic Land And Lumber Llc - St. Maries Lumber Drying Division, St Maries
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $309,547.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000468789 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Plummer Forest Products, Plummer
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022811876 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Santa Fernwood Wwtf, Fernwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010829318 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Timber Treat Products, Santa
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071970633 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
City Of Plummer Pole Yard, Plummer
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071974271 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Old Tensed Town Landfill, Desmet
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071981158 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
The Chapman Property, Plummer
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072136101 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
The St. Joe Property, Saint Maries
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072136103 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Plummer Forest Products, Plummer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022811876 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Plummer Cogen, Plummer
Biomass power plant.
Record ID 55090 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 2.5
Stimson Lumber Company St Maries Mill, Saint Maries
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044893023 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Dmp 322, Fernwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070204570 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2

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 Benewah County

Idaho 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 Benewah County, and their findings.
Idaho vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Idaho health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Idaho 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.
Idaho 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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