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Idaho County, Idaho: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Idaho County is 163.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 243 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (101), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (50), Air permit holder (minor source) (26). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. 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: 45.8899, -115.5608.

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 Idaho 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	39.5	23.8	1.66xSignificant	28 to 54.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	14.7	11.3	1.3x	9.1 to 23.4	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	163.5	143.2	1.14xSignificant	143.5 to 186.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	15.8	13.9	1.14x	10.3 to 24.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.8	17.9	1.11x	12.4 to 30.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	445.9	453.4	0.98x	409.3 to 485.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	29.6	30.2	0.98x	21.4 to 40.6	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.4	14.5	0.92x	7.5 to 22.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.3	18.5	0.88x	10.6 to 25.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	45.3	51.8	0.87x	35.4 to 57.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	15.2	18.7	0.81x	9.9 to 23.4	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 Idaho County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,110.9	9,842.6	-18%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.4	75.3	+4%	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	127.6	96.9	+32%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	21.4	28.6	-25%	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.

Formaldehyde13.43 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.72 per million
Acetaldehyde1.82 per million
Pahpom1.08 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 262 good, 8 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 40, peak 215.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge101
NPDES wastewater discharge permit50
Air permit holder (minor source)26
Public airport25
Rail grade crossing16
Gas station (mapped facility)8
EPA air quality monitor3
Heliport3
Major air pollution source2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Brownfield property2
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Hydroelectric plant1
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.

Idaho Forest Group Grangeville Facility, Grangeville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Lead, Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. Reports carcinogens. 201,861 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 83530BNNTTHWY95 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Idaho Forest Group Llc - Bennett-Grangeville, Grangeville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013286390 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
North Idaho Correctional Institution, Cottonwood
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110010829309 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Idaho Forest Group Llc - Bennett-Grangeville, Grangeville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013286390 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Elk City Wwtp, Elk City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011271596 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Clearwater Forest Industries, Kooskia
Major air pollution source. Penalties $23,950.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011625633 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Idaho Forest Group Llc - Bennett-Grangeville, Grangeville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013286390 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Kooskia National Fish Hatchery, Kooskia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070695064 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
North Idaho Correctional Institution, Cottonwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010829309 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Clearwater Forest Industries, Kooskia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $23,950.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011625633 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
White Bird Sewage Treatment System, White Bird
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039886200 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Cottonwood Stp, Cottonwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039886139 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Usda Usfs R01 Fenn Rangeb3:B14r Station And Ycc Camp, Kooskia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063664468 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Blue North Forest Products, Kamiah
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058087136 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Prairie Elementary School, Cottonwood
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071970575 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Rapid River State Fish Hatchery, Riggins
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054058461 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Grangeville Wwtp, Grangeville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039886157 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Kooskia Wwtp, Kooskia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039886166 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Clearwater Concrete Kooskia Facility, Kamiah
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,055.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064862260 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Friday Exploration Project, Elk City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $15,293.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070250202 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Idaho Power Co., Cascade
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $72,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071376548 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Riggins Wwtp, Riggins
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010027130 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Orogrande Processing Facility, Elk City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070256087 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Chs Inc. - Grangeville, Grangeville
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $1,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000508709 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Seubert Excavators Inc 00103, Cottonwood
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $2,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010388749 (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.

North Idaho Correctional Institution, Cottonwood
EPA FRS registry ID
110010829309
Water system
ID2250041
Health-based violations
10 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
31
Contaminants cited
Coliform (TCR)
Wastewater permit
Yes, significant noncompliance, 11 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Idaho 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 Idaho 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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