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Chase County, Kansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Chase County is 150.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 148 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (78), Air permit holder (minor source) (30), Industrial wastewater discharge (15). 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: 38.3044, -96.5965.

How this county ranks in Kansas

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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 Chase County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	150.6	143.2	1.05x	102.7 to 218	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	362.1	453.4	0.8x	282.1 to 461.5	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 Chase County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,701.2	9,842.6	-22%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78	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	146.1	96.9	+51%	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: 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.

Formaldehyde18.12 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.87 per million
Acetaldehyde1.68 per million
Benzene0.9 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 99 days: 82 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 31, peak 95.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing78
Air permit holder (minor source)30
Industrial wastewater discharge15
NPDES wastewater discharge permit13
Gas station (mapped facility)5
Public airport4
EPA air quality monitor1
Brownfield property1
Small hazardous waste generator1

Highest-severity records

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

Strong City Fire Station, Strong City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072252606 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cottonwood Falls, Cottonwood Falls
Public airport. O.
Record ID 9K0 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Cottonwood Falls Wwtp, Cottonwood Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039997741 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Kta - Matfield Green Ser. (Wwtp), Matfield Green
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011224861 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Strong City Sanitary Sewer Imprv, Strong City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011226093 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Palenske Ranch, Inc., Strong City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055195943 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Public Wholesale Water Dist #26, Strong City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055488725 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Lmi Aerospace Cottonwood Falls, Ks, Cottonwood Falls
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058885611 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Kdot Project 9 C-5219-01 (Cfs# 23-5078), Cedar Point
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071785733 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Cottonwood River C139.8 Streambank Stabilization Project, Elmdale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071863014 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Bnsf Emporia Subdivision Mp 121.0 Subgrade Stabilization Project, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071945263 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Chase County State Lake Dam Improvements, Cottonwood Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072074628 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Ka-5712-01, Cottonwood Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072074990 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Kta Mm 101 Deck Replacement, Chase County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072109318 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Apac - Heavy Highway - Chase Co. - Cottonwood Falls, Cottonwood Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072164120 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Camp Wood Rd, Elmdale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072246950 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Road A, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008726L (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Road A, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008727T (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Private, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008728A (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Yy Road, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008729G (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Yy Road, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008730B (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Zz Road, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008731H (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Zz Road, Emporia
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008732P (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Farm Rd, Strong City
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008734D (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3
Farm Rd, Strong City
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 008735K (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.3

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 Chase County

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