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Custer County, Montana: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Custer County is 134 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 138 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (51), Rail grade crossing (46), Gas station (mapped facility) (12). 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: 46.3975, -105.5303.

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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 Custer County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	27.5	17.9	1.54x	16.2 to 43.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	19.2	18.7	1.03x	10.8 to 32.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	24.3	23.8	1.02x	14.2 to 39.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	51.9	51.8	1x	37.9 to 70.2	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	450.9	453.4	0.99x	405.2 to 500.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	134	143.2	0.94x	110.8 to 161.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	20.9	30.2	0.69x	12.5 to 33.7	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 Custer County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,362.5	9,842.6	-5%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.2	75.3	+1%	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	99.6	96.9	+3%	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.

Formaldehyde9.78 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.8 per million
Acetaldehyde0.88 per million
Naphthalene0.71 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 273 days: 238 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 40, peak 127.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit51
Rail grade crossing46
Gas station (mapped facility)12
Brownfield property10
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Gas power plant1
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.

Pfp Industries Llc - Miles City Mt Facility, Miles City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol. 250 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5930WPTBLN1123H (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.8
Miles City Wwtp, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043213448 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Mfwp Miles City Fish Hatchery, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010826231 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Custer County Mosquito Abatement District, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045510309 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Bice Ranch Llc - Feedlot, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058284609 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
The Feed Yard North Lot, Kinsey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064599938 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Solaris Feeders - Kinsey Feedlot, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058917490 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Varner Pit, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071149311 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Western Powders Inc, Miles City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008058840 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Solaris Feedlot, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011049873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Niedge Livestock, Miles City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041254362 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Jack Witcher Feedlot, Kinsey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110058917187 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Diamond K Feedlot, Kinsey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063712585 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Loren Hinebauch Feedlot, Kinsey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064624027 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Miles City - Pines Hills
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 300170005 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4
Mdu - Miles City, Miles City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007375571 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Diamond J Cattle North Lot, Kinsey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110066915084 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Miles City Gt, Miles City
Gas power plant.
Record ID 2177 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3
Old Holy Rosary Hospital, Miles City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038745249 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Custer County Detention Center, Miles City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056393807 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Miles City Ursiline Convent, Miles City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071964721 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Big Sky Pharmacy, Miles City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071964935 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Miles City Industrial Park, Miles City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973016 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
918 Bridge Street, Miles City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071975896 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Riggs Building, Miles City
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071975901 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) 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 Custer County

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