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Powell County, Montana: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Powell County is 144 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 127 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (60), Rail grade crossing (42), Correctional facility (prison or jail) (6). 6 correctional facilities operate in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 10 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: 46.9272, -113.0494.

How this county ranks in Montana

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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 Powell County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	New cases	537.7	453.4	1.19xSignificant	474.6 to 608.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	54.2	51.8	1.05x	36.6 to 79.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	144	143.2	1.01x	113.4 to 181.9	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	26.8	30.2	0.89x	15.2 to 46.5	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 Powell County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,728.1	9,842.6	-1%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.8	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	138.2	96.9	+43%	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: 10 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde8.68 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.56 per million
Acetaldehyde1.08 per million
Pahpom0.76 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 95 days: 90 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 13, peak 75.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit60
Rail grade crossing42
Correctional facility (prison or jail)6
Brownfield property5
Gas station (mapped facility)5
Public airport4
Major air pollution source2
EPA air quality monitor1
Air permit holder (minor source)1
Small hazardous waste generator1

Highest-severity records

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

Sun Mountain Lumber, Inc., Deer Lodge
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059012278 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Sun Mountain Lumber, Inc., Deer Lodge
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059012278 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Deer Lodge Wwtp, Deer Lodge
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039828345 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Montana State Prison Ranch, Deer Lodge
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011049775 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Upper Pikes Peak Creek, Gold Creek
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070815715 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Bsb Deer Lodge Site, Deer Lodge
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072142058 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Passenger Refueling, First & Milwaukee, Deer Lodge
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040823008 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Hotel Deer Lodge, Deer Lodge
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071965602 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Milwaukee Roundhouse, Deer Lodge
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071970184 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Powell County Memorial Hospital, Deer Lodge
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071978684 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Deer Lodge City Hall, Deer Lodge
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071985735 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Montana State Prison Ranch, Deer Lodge
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110011049775 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 3
Springtown, Drummond
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070892228 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Sun Mountain Logging, Deer Lodge
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056982751 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Seeley Lake, Seeley Lake
Public airport. O.
Record ID 23S (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Deer Lodge-City-County, Deer Lodge
Public airport. O.
Record ID 38S (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Mt Dept Of Corrections Deer Lodge Facility, Deer Lodge
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017225199 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
City Of Deer Lodge, Deer Lodge
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020316969 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Debco Construction, Deer Lodge
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024561776 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
David & Mary Cutler Suct Drdge, Deer Lodge County
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025314050 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sletten Construction Co Clark Fork River & Rock Creek 318 Permit, Garrison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028112977 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Eric Reiland Rock Creek 318 Permit, Garrison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028112986 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Alpine Creek Restoration Willow Creek 318 Permit, Garrison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030485142 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sletten Construction - Arrastra Creek 318 Permit, Ovando
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110035855465 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Yellowstone Pipe Line - Dog Creek 318 Permit, Elliston
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037115305 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Montana State Prison Ranch, Deer Lodge
EPA FRS registry ID
110011049775
Wastewater permit
Yes, 12 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report
Montana State Prison, Deer Lodge
EPA FRS registry ID
110012939393
Water system
MT0000198
Health-based violations
2 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
116
Contaminants cited
Coliform (TCR)
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
Department Of Corrections - State Prison, Deer Lodge
EPA FRS registry ID
110001474823
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
Mt Dept Of Corrections Deer Lodge Facility, Deer Lodge
EPA FRS registry ID
110017225199
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
Montana Dept Of Corrections - Kerns Lake Dam Rehab Ph Ii, Deer Lodge
EPA FRS registry ID
110040077528
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report
Montana State Prison Waterline Replacement 2025, Deer Lodge
EPA FRS registry ID
110040637709
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Powell 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 Powell 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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