KS / county FIPS 20181 / county research

Sherman County, Kansas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Sherman County is 136.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 90 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (37), Air permit holder (minor source) (21), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (10). 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: 39.346, -101.7199.

How this county ranks in Kansas

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Sherman County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	136.7	143.2	0.95x	102.5 to 179.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	385.5	453.4	0.85x	322.9 to 457.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	36	51.8	0.69x	20.1 to 61.3	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 Sherman County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,118.1	9,842.6	-7%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.2	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	81.9	96.9	-16%	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.

Formaldehyde11.1 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.66 per million
Acetaldehyde0.74 per million
Benzene0.54 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 333 days: 300 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 27, peak 93.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing37
Air permit holder (minor source)21
NPDES wastewater discharge permit10
Gas station (mapped facility)8
Industrial wastewater discharge4
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Gas power plant1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

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

K81 - Goodland Oilseeds, Goodland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 101,459 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 67735NRTHR6425R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Agroliquid - Goodland, Goodland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). 3,870 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6773WGRLQD16E19 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Agroliquid - Goodland, Goodland
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070055350 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Scoular Co. - Goodland (Co Rd 14), Goodland
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447231 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
, Goodland
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 201810003 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 3.4
Goodland, Goodland
Gas power plant.
Record ID 1280 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3
Renner Fld/Goodland Muni, Goodland
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID GLD (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Hj Stephens & Sons Goodland, Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010837327 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Livengood Brothers, Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011221230 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
J L Livengood Feedlot, Kanorado
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011221383 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sherman County Feed Yard, Llc., Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011225600 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
The Scoular Company - Caruso (Stormwater), Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055227213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sherman County Msw Landfill/Balefill (South) (Stormwater), Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057001355 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sherman County Solid Waste Facility (North) (Stormwater), Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057001499 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
I070-091 Ka 7200-01 (Stormwater), Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071727010 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
91 C-5194-01 Sherman County (Off System #24), Edson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071884296 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Golden Waves Grain, Goodland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID xfd7443a6901e588d40c6aba4b9a25a7d (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Western Avenue, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594862Y (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2
Eastern Avenue, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594863F (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2
3 County Road, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594864M (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2
Cr 369 Or T-135 Road, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594865U (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2
5 County Road, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594866B (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2
7 County Road, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594867H (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2
8 County Road, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594868P (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2
9 County Road, Kanorado
Rail grade crossing.
Record ID 594869W (Federal Railroad Administration)
Severity 1.2

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 Sherman 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 Sherman 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.

Scan an address in Sherman County View on the heat map All Kansas counties