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Iron County, Missouri: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Iron County is 201.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 2.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 160 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (46), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (42), Rail grade crossing (30). 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: 37.5072, -90.6587.

How this county ranks in Missouri

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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 Iron County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	66.8	30.2	2.21xSignificant	49.5 to 89.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	91.6	51.8	1.77xSignificant	71 to 117.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	201.1	143.2	1.4xSignificant	169.7 to 237.6	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	25.5	18.7	1.36x	14.9 to 41.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.1	23.8	1.35x	18.3 to 52.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	538.3	453.4	1.19xSignificant	483.2 to 598.6	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 Iron County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	16,912.6	9,842.6	+72%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	69.4	75.3	-8%	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	121.9	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: 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.

Formaldehyde17.93 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.89 per million
Acetaldehyde1.67 per million
Benzene0.7 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge46
NPDES wastewater discharge permit42
Rail grade crossing30
Air permit holder (minor source)17
EPA air quality monitor7
Large hazardous waste generator6
TRI reporting facility3
Public airport2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Major air pollution source1
Brownfield property1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1

Highest-severity records

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

The Doe Run Company Buick Resource Recycling Facility, Boss
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017990478 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Buick Resource Recycling Facility Llc, Boss
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds, Zinc compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 16,550,744 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 65440BCKSMHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Doe Run Company-Buick Mine & Mill, Boss
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044834061 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.8
The Doe Run Company Buick Resource Recycling Facility, Boss
Major air pollution source. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017990478 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
The Doe Run Company Buick Resource Recycling Facility, Boss
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017990478 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
The Doe Run Company Buick Resource Recycling Facility, Boss
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017990478 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
The Doe Run Company Buick Resource Recycling Facility, Boss
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017990478 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Doe Run Company-Buick Mine & Mill, Boss
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044834061 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Doe Run Company-Buick Mine & Mill, Boss
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044834061 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Doe Run Co Glover Smelter, Annapolis
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000442405 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Annapolis Pws-Well # 4 Tower Well Trmnt, Annapolis
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009878221 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Stricklin Wwtf, Pilot Knob
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022551674 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Doe Run Co Storeroom 13, Viburnum
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033145424 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Specialty Granules Llc Annapolis Plant, Annapolis
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000442370 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Mawc, Ironton Wwtf, Ironton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009112192 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Doe Run/Viburnum Operations, Steelville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055250259 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Viburnum Wwtf, Viburnum
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070835498 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Belleview Valley Nursing Home Wwtf, Belleview
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071437101 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Arcadia Pws-Arcadia Chlorination Point, Arcadia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009876394 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Arcadia West Wwtf, Arcadia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009877008 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Cominco American Inc - Magmont Mine, Bixby
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017985117 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Arcadia Valley Academy, Arcadia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071981652 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Iron Mountain Trap Rock Company, Ironton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011110074 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Doe Run Company Viburnum Centeral Services Facility The, Viburnum
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033145415 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Doe Run Company #35 Casteel Mine The, Bixby
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063682581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) 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 Iron County

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