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Dakota County, Minnesota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Dakota County is 128.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Melanoma of the skin deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 1,233 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (208), Brownfield property (200), Air permit holder (minor source) (181). 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: 44.6953, -93.0253.

How this county ranks in Minnesota

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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 Dakota 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	45.5	23.8	1.91xSignificant	42.8 to 48.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.9	2	1.45xSignificant	2.3 to 3.7	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	23.4	18.5	1.26xSignificant	21.5 to 25.4	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	7.7	6.2	1.24xSignificant	6.6 to 8.9	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.2	4.4	1.18x	4.3 to 6.2	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	16.8	14.5	1.16xSignificant	15.2 to 18.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	494	453.4	1.09xSignificant	485.3 to 502.8	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	17.6	16.4	1.07x	13.9 to 22.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.8	13.9	1.06x	13.3 to 16.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.1	4.8	1.06x	4.2 to 6.1	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	2.8	2.7	1.04x	2.2 to 3.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	5.9	5.7	1.04x	5 to 7	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	6.8	6.6	1.03x	5.8 to 7.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	18.8	18.7	1.01x	17.1 to 20.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.8	17.9	0.99x	16.2 to 19.6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.3	8.7	0.95x	7.2 to 9.5	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	12.4	13	0.95x	10.9 to 13.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.5	11.3	0.93x	9.3 to 11.9	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	128.3	143.2	0.9x	124 to 132.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	45.8	51.8	0.88x	43.2 to 48.5	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.8	6.6	0.88x	4.9 to 6.8	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	3.2	3.7	0.86x	2.5 to 3.9	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	3.8	4.6	0.83x	3.1 to 4.6	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	2.8	3.4	0.82x	2.2 to 3.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	23.9	30.2	0.79x	22.1 to 25.9	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	3.1	4.1	0.76x	2.5 to 3.9	2020-2024

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 Dakota County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	5,146	9,842.6	-48%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	80.9	75.3	+7%	years
Child mortality	37.8	59.8	-37%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	3.6	6.2	-41%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	63.9	96.9	-34%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	14.6	28.6	-49%	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.

Formaldehyde16.2 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Benzene2.07 per million
Naphthalene2.06 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 267 good, 10 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 35, peak 175.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,233 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Rail grade crossing208
Brownfield property200
Air permit holder (minor source)181
Small hazardous waste generator168
Gas station (mapped facility)134
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)79
Industrial wastewater discharge53
NPDES wastewater discharge permit45
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)26
Solar power plant21
TRI reporting facility21
Major air pollution source14
Large hazardous waste generator14
Hazardous waste transporter14
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)11
Public airport8
EPA air quality monitor6
Landfill (mapped facility)6
Oil-fired power plant5
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Commercial airport2
Heliport2
Hydroelectric plant2
Gas power plant2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
Airfield1
Biomass power plant1
Wind power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)1

Highest-severity records

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

Freeway Sanitary Landfill, Burnsville
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 45.9. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MND038384004 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend Llc, Rosemount
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Methanol, Ammonia, Hydrogen cyanide and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,354,131 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55164KCHRFPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.5
Ega Spectro Alloys, Rosemount
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Aluminum (fume or dust), Chlorine, Copper and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 75,125 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55068SPCTL13220 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Sanimax, South Saint Paul
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $55,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000423952 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.9
Gopher Resource Llc, Eagan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds, Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Antimony And Antimony Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,616 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55121GPHRS3385S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Cemstone - Rosemount Umore, Rosemount
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1,961 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5506WCMSTN13158 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Spectro Alloys Corp, Rosemount
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $1,015.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000423907 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend, Llc, Rosemount
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000424611 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Cemstone - Burnsville, Burnsville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1,502 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55337CMSTN23WCL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Sanimax Usa Llc, South Saint Paul
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 82,267 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55075VNHVN505HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Sheldahl Flexible Technologies Inc, Northfield
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Methanol, Ammonia, Copper And Copper Compounds and 1 more. 46,091 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55057SHLDHHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Twin City Tanning Co Llp, South Saint Paul
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Manganese compounds and 1 more. 42,883 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55075TWNCT501MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
Valmont Industries Inc, Farmington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Aluminum (fume or dust). 34,532 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55024LXNGT20805 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Gopher Resource Llc- State Special Waste Facility, Eagan
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $52,692.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008819494 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Valmont Industries Inc, Farmington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001136057 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Apple Valley, Apple Valley
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 270370470 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 6
Airgas Specialty Products - S St Paul Mn, South Saint Paul
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 5,796 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5507WRGSSP458FA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Sheldahl Flexible Technologies, Inc (West), Northfield
Major air pollution source. Penalties $15,758.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003819789 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Near Road I-35, Lakeville
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 270370480 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.6
Hawkins Inc. - Rosemount, Rosemount
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Formic acid. 1,851 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5506WHKWNS135CU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Airgas Specialty Products Inc S St Paul Mn, South Saint Paul
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000544698 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Sheldahl Flexible Technologies, Inc (West), Northfield
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $15,758.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003819789 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Cemstone - Rosemount Umore, Rosemount
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070070708 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Hawkins Industrial Group - Rosemount, Rosemount
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060258661 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2
Cemstone - Burnsville, Burnsville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020241193 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 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 Dakota County

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