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Sibley County, Minnesota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Sibley County is 134.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 176 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (81), Industrial wastewater discharge (33), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (25). 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: 44.5863, -94.2658.

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 Sibley County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	Deaths	17	11.3	1.5x	9.9 to 27.7	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	27.7	18.7	1.48x	17.9 to 41.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	27.3	18.5	1.48x	17.7 to 40.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	18	13.9	1.29x	10.6 to 29.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	22.9	17.9	1.28x	14 to 35.7	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	475.7	453.4	1.05x	431.9 to 523	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	24.9	23.8	1.05x	16 to 37.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	29.1	30.2	0.96x	19.6 to 42	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	134.3	143.2	0.94x	112.6 to 159.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	45.3	51.8	0.87x	33.1 to 61	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 Sibley County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,589.3	9,842.6	-33%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	80.4	75.3	+7%	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	79.2	96.9	-18%	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.

Formaldehyde13.41 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde1.17 per million
Benzene1 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing81
Industrial wastewater discharge33
NPDES wastewater discharge permit25
Gas station (mapped facility)7
Air permit holder (minor source)6
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)6
TRI reporting facility5
Small hazardous waste generator4
Solar power plant3
Major air pollution source1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Brownfield property1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

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

Heartland Corn Products, Winthrop
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Ammonia, Formaldehyde and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 233,121 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55396HRTLNHWY19 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Heartland Corn Products, Winthrop
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $11,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038158524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.1
M G Waldbaum, Gaylord
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 617,732 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55334MGWLDHWY51 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
M.G. Waldbaum Company - Gaylord, Gaylord
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $13,957.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056588465 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Scott Equipment Co, Arlington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 128 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5530WSCTTQ39579 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.1
Heartland Corn Products, Winthrop
Major air pollution source. Penalties $11,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038158524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Rec - Belle Plaine, Henderson
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5604WRVRSD22119 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Heartland Corn Products, Winthrop
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $11,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038158524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Dairy Farmers Of America Incorporated, Winthrop
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001975505 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Heartland Corn Products, Winthrop
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $11,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038158524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Scott Equipment Company, Arlington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006814947 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.4
Rec - Belle Plaine, Henderson
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070069229 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Heartland Corn Products, Winthrop
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $11,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038158524 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Court Ave High School, Gaylord
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071982658 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Gibbon Wwtp, Gibbon
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit MNG585020: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Gaylord Wwtp, Gaylord
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit MNG585204: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Seneca Foods, Glencoe
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid, Peracetic acid.
TRI facility ID 55336THPLL101W8 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Dairy Farmers Of America Inc, Winthrop
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid.
TRI facility ID 55396MDMRC212EA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
M.G. Waldbaum Company - Gaylord, Gaylord
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $13,957.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056588465 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Altona Hutterian Brethren Wwtp, Henderson Township
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068808188 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Dairy Farmers Of America Incorporated, Winthrop
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001975505 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Dairy Farmers Of America Incorporated, Winthrop
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001975505 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Gaylord Wwtp, Gaylord
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008811544 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Winthrop Wwtp, Winthrop
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008812302 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Lesueur Wwtp, Le Sueur
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008812794 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8

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 Sibley 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 Sibley 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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