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Nobles County, Minnesota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Nobles County is 148.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 260 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (83), Industrial wastewater discharge (51), Rail grade crossing (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: 43.6759, -95.7531.

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 Nobles County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	30.6	18.5	1.65xSignificant	21.5 to 42.4	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	25.4	18.7	1.36x	17.6 to 35.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.2	23.8	1.35x	23 to 43.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	18.9	14.5	1.3x	12 to 28.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.1	17.9	1.18x	13.7 to 31.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.8	11.3	1.04x	6.7 to 19.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	472.7	453.4	1.04x	435.5 to 512.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	148.5	143.2	1.04x	128.6 to 170.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	51.3	51.8	0.99x	39.8 to 65.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	29.7	30.2	0.98x	21.3 to 40.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.7	13.9	0.91x	7.3 to 20.7	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 Nobles County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,328.8	9,842.6	-36%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	79.8	75.3	+6%	years
Child mortality	67.9	59.8	+14%	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	71.6	96.9	-26%	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.

Formaldehyde13.25 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde1.04 per million
Benzene0.75 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit83
Industrial wastewater discharge51
Rail grade crossing50
Gas station (mapped facility)19
Air permit holder (minor source)13
Wind power plant9
Small hazardous waste generator8
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)6
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Major air pollution source3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Oil-fired power plant2
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1

Highest-severity records

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

Minnesota Soybean Processors, Brewster
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Methanol. 2,271,460 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 56119MNNST121ZE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Jbs Worthington Mn, Worthington
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $2,240.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056623471 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Jbs Usa Food Co, Worthington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 119,858 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 56187SPCNCPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Minnesota Soybean Processors, Brewster
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022523447 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Worthington Industrial Treatment Facility, Worthington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002057871 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Jbs Worthington Mn, Worthington
Major air pollution source. Penalties $2,240.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056623471 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Worthington, Worthington
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 2024 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Adrian, Adrian
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 1956 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Hubbard Feeds Inc - Worthington, Worthington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000594722 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Ridley Block Operations, Worthington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000594731 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Intervet Inc., Worthington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031001617 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Worthington Diesel Generating Plant, Worthington
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008692511 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Wilmont Wwtp, Wilmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070503361 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Minnesota Soybean Processors, Brewster
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022523447 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Jbs Worthington Mn, Worthington
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $2,240.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056623471 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Worthington Wwtp, Worthington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000733617 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Lismore Wwtp, Lismore Township
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069123246 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Bedford Industries, Worthington
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003762429 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Ellsworth Wwtp, Ellsworth
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068554692 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Worthington Industrial Wwtp, Worthington
Industrial wastewater discharge. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit MN0031178: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Hubbard Feeds Inc, Worthington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 56187CNTNTHWY60 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Ridley Block Operations, Worthington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds, Manganese compounds, Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 56187HBBRDCOUNT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Intervet Inc., Worthington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Mercury compounds, Mercury And Mercury Compounds.
TRI facility ID 56187NTRVT375SL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Minnesota Soybean Processors, Brewster
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022523447 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Jbs Worthington Mn, Worthington
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $2,240.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056623471 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5

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 Nobles 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 Nobles 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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