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McPherson County, Kansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in McPherson County is 143.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 362 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (131), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (54), Air permit holder (minor source) (50). 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: 38.3915, -97.6482.

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 McPherson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	Deaths	8.3	5.7	1.46x	4.9 to 13.4	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	24.6	18.7	1.32x	18.5 to 32.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	31	23.8	1.3x	23.2 to 40.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	13	11.3	1.15x	8.6 to 19.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.2	17.9	1.13x	14.2 to 28.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.7	18.5	1.06x	13.7 to 27.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.1	14.5	1.04x	10 to 22.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	460.5	453.4	1.02x	429.9 to 492.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	143.8	143.2	1x	127.9 to 161.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	13.9	13.9	1x	9.1 to 20.5	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	12.2	13	0.94x	7 to 19.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	22	30.2	0.73x	16.3 to 29.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	33	51.8	0.64x	25.9 to 41.8	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 McPherson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,867.9	9,842.6	-30%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.6	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	99.5	96.9	+3%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	14.7	28.6	-49%	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.

Formaldehyde16.38 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.85 per million
Acetaldehyde1.32 per million
Benzene0.74 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing131
NPDES wastewater discharge permit54
Air permit holder (minor source)50
Industrial wastewater discharge46
Small hazardous waste generator15
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
Brownfield property8
Large hazardous waste generator8
TRI reporting facility7
Major air pollution source6
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)5
Public airport3
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Gas power plant2
Commercial airport1

Highest-severity records

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

Chs Mcpherson Refinery - Sru, Mcpherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), n-Hexane, Ammonia, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 770,753 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67460NTNLC2000M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Mid-Continent Fractionation & Storage Conway Fra, Mcpherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, n-Hexane, Cyclohexane, Benzene. Reports carcinogens. 226,502 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6746WMDCNT1475T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
National Cooperative Refinery Association, Mcpherson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015862440 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.4
Mid-Continent Fractionation And Storage Conway Fra, Mcpherson
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $311,850.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000579525 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Viega Logistics Facility, Mcpherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Copper. 284,979 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6746WVGLGS2211V (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Ics Inc, Mcpherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 547 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67460CSNCX210NE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Moridge Manufacturing Inc, Moundridge
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Zinc compounds, Chromium, Nickel and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 69 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67107MRDGMOLDHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Chemstar Products, Mcpherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene oxide. Reports carcinogens. 21 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67460CHMST503WG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Johns Manville - Mcpherson, Mcpherson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Ics Inc., Mcpherson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001241727 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Mid-Continent Fractionation And Storage Conway Fra, Mcpherson
Major air pollution source. Penalties $311,850.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000579525 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
National Cooperative Refinery Association, Mcpherson
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015862440 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Viega Logistics Facility, Mcpherson
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $222,962.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038919383 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Oneok Hydrocarbon Lp Mcpherson Butane Isomerization Plant, Mcpherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Tetrachloroethylene. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 67460KCHHY462US (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Moridge Manufacturing Inc, Moundridge
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017462878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Johns Manville, Mcpherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Mercury And Mercury Compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) and 2 more. 59 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67460MNVLLCOUNT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.4
Cargill Animal Nutrition, Mc Pherson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Copper compounds, Manganese compounds. 35 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67460CRGLL1STBA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.2
Johns Manville - Mcpherson, Mcpherson
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Isom Plant, Mcpherson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000717243 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Certainteed Llc, Mcpherson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003144909 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
National Cooperative Refinery Association, Mcpherson
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015862440 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
National Cooperative Refinery Association, Mcpherson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015862440 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Mid-Continent Fractionation And Storage Conway Fra, Mcpherson
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $311,850.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000579525 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Johns Manville - Mcpherson, Mcpherson
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Johns Manville - Mcpherson, Mcpherson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5

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 McPherson 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 McPherson 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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