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Lyon County, Kansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Lyon County is 159.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 294 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (77), Rail grade crossing (68), Industrial wastewater discharge (55). 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: 38.4562, -96.1522.

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 Lyon County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	New cases	21.2	14.5	1.46xSignificant	14.7 to 29.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	8.2	5.7	1.44x	4.7 to 13.5	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	33.9	23.8	1.42xSignificant	25.3 to 44.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	24.9	17.9	1.39x	17.6 to 34.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	21.1	18.7	1.13x	15 to 29.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	20.8	18.5	1.12x	14.2 to 29.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	159.6	143.2	1.11x	141.6 to 179.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	501.1	453.4	1.11xSignificant	467.6 to 536.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.4	11.3	1.1x	7.9 to 18.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	56.6	51.8	1.09x	46.2 to 68.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	31.7	30.2	1.05x	24.3 to 40.9	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	13.1	13	1.01x	7.9 to 20.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13	13.9	0.94x	8.2 to 19.8	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 Lyon County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,546.7	9,842.6	-23%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.9	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	43.7	59.8	-27%	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	78.9	96.9	-19%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	13.4	28.6	-53%	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.

Formaldehyde18.41 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.89 per million
Acetaldehyde1.7 per million
Benzene1 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit77
Rail grade crossing68
Industrial wastewater discharge55
Air permit holder (minor source)38
Gas station (mapped facility)16
Small hazardous waste generator8
Major air pollution source5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
TRI reporting facility4
Brownfield property3
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Large hazardous waste generator3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Heliport1
Gas power plant1
Oil-fired power plant1
Wind 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.

Bunge N.A. (Opd West) Inc., Emporia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 1,706,031 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 66801BNGCR700EF (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Emporia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 117,203 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 66801BPNCX2101W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Bunge (Emporia) Corporation, North America (Opd West), Inc., Emporia
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011876997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Camso Mfg. Usa, Emporia
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001370016 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Camso Manufacturing Usa Ltd. (Emporia Division), Emporia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Zinc compounds. 16,053 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 66801MBLTR1601E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Iowa Beef Processors Inc, Emporia
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000446045 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Builders Choice Concrete, Emporia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6680WBLDRS11W4T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Emporia Wastewater Treatment Plant, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014347929 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Thunderbird Generator (Tbird), Emporia
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 63575 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Emporia Pet Products, Emporia
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001369251 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Camso Mfg. Usa, Emporia
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001370016 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Emporia Energy Center, Emporia
Gas power plant.
Record ID 56502 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.7
Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co - Olpe, Olpe
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006013321 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Olpe Sewer Treatment Plant C/O City Hall, Olpe
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011225067 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bunge (Emporia) Corporation, North America (Opd West), Inc., Emporia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011876997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc., Emporia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014347947 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
City Of Emporia - Transfer Station (Air Curt Comb), Emporia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017527997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Emporia Energy Center, Emporia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030490779 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Camso - Midrollers (Air), Emporia
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071673337 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
F & F Feeds, Inc., Emporia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000543993 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Industrial Park Iii Lot 4, Emporia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071985474 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Carley Tract, Emporia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071986228 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Bunge (Emporia) Corporation, North America (Opd West), Inc., Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011876997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
City Of Emporia - Transfer Station (Air Curt Comb), Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017527997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Emporia Energy Center, Emporia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030490779 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 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 Lyon 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 Lyon 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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