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Rice County, Kansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Rice County is 173 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 416 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (165), Rail grade crossing (124), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (39). 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: 38.3331, -98.2022.

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 Rice 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	44.6	23.8	1.87xSignificant	28 to 67.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	43.7	30.2	1.45x	28.9 to 64.1	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	173	143.2	1.21x	141 to 210.5	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	516.7	453.4	1.14xSignificant	458.4 to 580.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	57	51.8	1.1x	39.5 to 80.4	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 Rice County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,472	9,842.6	-14%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.3	75.3	+0%	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	103.8	96.9	+7%	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.

Formaldehyde15.78 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.84 per million
Acetaldehyde1.25 per million
Benzene0.6 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)165
Rail grade crossing124
NPDES wastewater discharge permit39
Industrial wastewater discharge30
Brownfield property26
Major air pollution source6
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
TRI reporting facility4
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Small hazardous waste generator3
Public airport2
Gas station (mapped facility)2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Commercial airport1
Oil-fired 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.

Kansas Ethanol Llc, Lyons
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Toluene, Acrolein, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 89,751 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6755WKNSST163AV (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Jacam Manufacturing 2013 Llc North Plant, Sterling
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Xylene (mixed isomers), Certain glycol ethers and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 33,761 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6757WJCMMN1656A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Jacam Mfg. - Organoclay Processing, Sterling
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $22,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069429238 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.1
Kmw Ltd, Sterling
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 215 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67579KMWLT535WG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Kmw Ltd., Lyons
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 129 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6755WKMWLT144IR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Kansas Ethanol, Llc, Lyons
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035798580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Jacam Manufacturing 2013 Llc South Plant, Sterling
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, Methanol, Epichlorohydrin and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67579JCMCH425S1 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Compass Minerals America, Lyons
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022447066 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Jacam Mfg. - Organoclay Processing, Sterling
Major air pollution source. Penalties $22,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069429238 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Bushton, City Of-Tp002 Demolished, Bushton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012934094 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Jacam Manufacturing 2013 Llc South Plant, Sterling
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017581339 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Jacam Mfg. - Organoclay Processing, Sterling
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $22,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069429238 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Jacam Mfg. - Organoclay Processing, Sterling
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $22,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069429238 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Sterling, Sterling
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 1326 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Sterling, City Of (Wwtp), Sterling
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011226486 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Anr Pipeline - Alden Station, Alden
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003153729 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Castle Rock Const. (Portable)(Air), Portable
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010336243 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Southern Star Central - Lyons Station, Lyons
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010399826 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Oneok Field Services-Bushton, Bushton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030555316 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Kansas Paving (Air Curt Comb) (Portable)(Air), Portable
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038946488 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Jacam Manufacturing 2013 Llc South Plant, Sterling
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017581339 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Lyons Truck Stop, Lyons
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038753523 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Lyons Airport Huffman Property, Lyons
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039687274 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Padilla Property, Lyons
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041306985 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Moore Property, Lyons
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041307038 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) 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 Rice 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 Rice 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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